You're going to remember me
by SyntheticHigh
Summary: When an online friendships gets a little too out of hand. SquallxCloud slight AxelxRoxas, and mentioning of DemyxZexion, SoraxMarluxia Rated M for later chapters.
1. Coffee, cigarettes, and video games

**Disclaimer: **This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. I don't own Squaresoft ( Square Enix ). As much as I wish I owned them, I don't. I don't own the characters in this story, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here writing. Though! The story is based on true events.

**Warnings: **Cloud's a nerd!

**Side note: **Anything that has an "apostrophe" at the beginning and end of it is something that is actually in game. Or is being used for gaming. And of course anything in italic is being spoken by another person, either over the microphone, on the phone, chat servers, anything. If I want it to be a thought it'll be bold and italic. P Okay, now that we all know what to expect, or what not, onward to the story!

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The sunlight crept through the bedroom, kissing the freckles on the blond's face and arousing him from his sleep. He stretched out, turning off his alarm clock before it could start buzzing, signaling that it was time for him to get up. He sat up in the bed, the covers pooling around his waist. Smiling, he stretched his arms above his head before pushing back the covers and rising to his feet. He scratched his bare stomach, yawning and making his way towards the bathroom.

Turning on the tap, he ran his hands under the water, splashing some of it on his face. He towel dried his face, turning the water off and looking at himself in the mirror. He bared his teeth, scrunching up his nose and laughing softly at himself. He turned the bathroom light off, making his way out the bedroom and into his computer room. He turned on the PC, walking out of the room and going into the kitchen. He started himself a pot of coffee, before walking back into the computer room.

He waited for everything to load up, closing out of a few things, before bringing up his game server. Yes, he had to admit, he enjoyed playing 'World of Warcraft', it was addicting. And today he had a run through of 'Sunken Temple' to do with a few friends of his. Grinning softly, he exited the room, yet again, and going into the kitchen. He grabbed his cup of coffee and took it into the computer room, setting it down on the desk. He closed the door, sitting himself down in the chair and grabbing his headset off the desk.

Placing the headset over his head, and taking the mic off mute he logged into the 'teamspeak sever', smiling when he saw that one of his friends had already logged in.

"How's it going this morning?"

_"Are you shitting me, it's already morning? Fuck, I've been up all night doing 'Battle grounds'."_

He laughed at his one friend, shaking his head slightly. "Yeah, Axel. It's, if I'm not mistaken.." Pulling his mouse down, letting the cursor hover over the taskbar and glancing in the right hand corner to see what time it was. "It is exactly, 8:32 a.m."

Axel groaned into the microphone. _"Damn it, I really need to learn when enough's enough. So, what are you up to today, Cloud? I haven't seen you in, oh, two days."_

Cloud sighed into the mic and chewed on the inside of his lip. "Yeah, I've been pretty busy. How's Sora and Demyx? Are they logging on today? I told them we had a 'Sunken Temple' run."

Axel went quiet, most likely thinking to himself, before answering. _"Well, when I saw Sora yesterday he said he would be on. Demyx I have no clue about. I know he's been busy with Zexion."_

Cloud just nodded, even though Axel couldn't see him. "Well, I have six or so hours before I have to get my happy ass off here. I have to take Aeris out tonight. She said that we aren't doing much together anymore."

Axel laughed, _"Better you than me. Glad I'm single! Man, my hair is sticking up everywhere. Log into the game so we can go ahead and group. Even with Demyx and Sora we still need to look for one more. Preferably a healer, please."_

Cloud rolled his eyes, biting his lip to suppress his laughter when Axel said please. "No problem, I'll log in right now. Oh, and Axel?"

_"Yes, Cloud?"_

"When is your hair ever not sticking up?"

_"When I get out of the shower. It's all smexy and straight."_

Cloud raised his eyebrows, chuckling softly. "Smexy? You've lost it Axel."

_"Shh, I know. It's all the game play, but don't tell anyone!"_

"Alright, I promise. Hey, while I log in and look for a healer, call Sora and Demyx."

Axel blew some air into the mic and groaned a bit. _"Fine, but only because I love you."_

Cloud smiled, logging into the game server and clicking on his character. A 'level 53', 'troll', 'warrior', Cloud preferred 'Horde' to 'Alliance'. They had cooler races, and were way better in 'BG's' then the alliance was. Now some people would rather choose 'alliance' over 'horde', but not him, or his friends. He had nothing against the 'alliance', well not really, he just didn't like playing them.

Cloud searched in the 'Looking for More' section, seeing if any healer fit the criteria for their group. He came across a 'level 50, Blood Elf, Paladin', biting on the inside of his lip as his whispered the person, hoping they were 'speced' in 'holy'.

_To [Leonhart242: Please tell me you spec in holy?.. _Cloud pressed, enter, waiting for the reply of the other player.

_[Leonhart242 whispers: It just so happens I am speced in holy, why?_

Cloud did a little happy dance, and spoke into the mic. "I think I found us a healer, you get a hold of Sora or Demyx?"

Axel huffed, most likely rolling his eyes at Cloud on the other end. _"What do you take me for? Of course I got a hold of them. They said give them both about 10 minutes and they'll be on, whose the healer?"_

Cloud bit his lip, forgetting that he didn't yet ask the other player if he wanted to join their group.

_To [Leonhart242: Well, we need a healer for 'ST' and I was wondering if you wanted to join our group?_

"Hold on, I'm finding out if he's sure he wants to go." Drumming his fingers on the computer desk, Cloud waited for the reply.

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Sure, okay, I need the 'exp' anyway. Invite away._

Cloud grinned, inviting him into his and Axel's group.

_[Party [Eatmyfire: Look, a blood elf!_

_[Party [Eatmyfire: Do you have 'ts' mister blood elf, sir?_

_[Party [Leonhart242: Yeah, what's your connection info?_

While Axel gave the blood elf paladin the information for the ts server, Cloud pulled the desk drawer open, reaching in and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He took one from the carton, before dropping it back into the drawer and searching for his lighter. He lit the cigarette, taking a drag off it and typing in the party chat.

_[Party [Fenrir: Try to behave Axel!_

_[Party [Eatmyfire: When do I ever not behave?_

The TS server buzzed and a robotic voice came on, announcing that a new player had joined.

_"Finally, I don't have to type to you. What's up, pally?"_

_"Axel, quit being stupid."_

_"I'm not being stupid, I'm being...Polite. Remember, it gets you a long way!"_

Cloud sighed, rubbing his forehead and taking another drag off his cigarette.

_"We're just waiting on two more people and then we'll be set to go."_

There was a noise on the other end, then a sigh, finally someone spoke.

_"I hate mage's."_

Cloud blinked a few times, thinking to himself, _**oh shit**_.

Axel growled into the microphone.

_"What's wrong with mages? Huh? I could kill you!"_

_"Axel, calm down, it's not that big of a deal."_

The robotic voice came back on, announcing that two more players had joined.

_"Hey Cloud, heya Axel!"_

_"Hi Sora..Demyx."_

_"Shut up! I'm fighting with the pally!"_

On the other end of the mic, Sora blinked, biting his lip and frowning. Axel could be such a bitch.

_"I just don't like mages, never could get into playing them. If you play one, that's fine."_

_"I will kill you."_

_"Axel, I think you need to get laid."_

_"Shut up, Demyx!"_

_"Um, anyway. Can we get this group started? I didn't log on just to listen to you bitch, Axel."_

Cloud laughed softly, putting his cigarette out and pulling the 'WoW' screen back up.

_"By the way, just so we don't have to go back and forth with screennames. I'm Cloud, the mage is Axel. The hunter is Sora, and the rogue is Demyx."_

Aeris peaked into the room, raising her eyebrow at Cloud and listening to him talk over the mic.

"Why must you play that game so early in the morning? Don't you have something more constructive to do?"

"Damn it, Aeris, shh."

_"Tell the bitch I said hi!"_

_"Axel, shut up!"_

_"Never. So what's your name, mister 'I hate mages'."_

The chat went quiet for a few minutes, before the other player responded.

_"Squall. The names Squall."_

_"Nice to meet you."_

_"No it's not."_

_"Damn it, Axel, knock it off already."_

Axel huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He flicked off the computer screen, sticking his tongue out at it.

_"Alright, Axel and I will 'summon' you guys, so just give us a second to get to the 'meeting stone'."_

Aeris stepped into the room, walking up behind Cloud and wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek.

"Couldn't you just come back to bed for a bit?"

Cloud removed her arms from his shoulders, he sighed, kissing her hand and shaking his head.

"Sorry, I promised and this is a little more important right now."

Aeris eyes widened and she nodded, slowly backing out of the room.

_"Ouch Cloud, we heard that, that was harsh."_

_"Oh, be quiet Sora, Cloud's getting bored with her anyway."_

Cloud rolled his eyes at what Axel said, frowning a bit.

_"I'm not bored..Per se, I wouldn't be marrying her if I was bored, right?"_

_"I got married because I was bored."_

Everyone blinked when Squall said that. Cloud raised his eyebrow, a small smile forming on his lips.

_"Yeah, sex sucks after marriage."_

_"Axel."_

_"Not really, it's just, different."_

_"Boring."_

_"Axel!"_

_"What?"_

Cloud grumbled into the microphone.

_"You're such an ass."_

In game both Cloud and Axel had reached the meeting stone, first summoning Squall, then Sora, then Demyx.

_"Why'd I have to be last?"_

Cloud could hear the pout in Demyx's voice, and he laughed.

_"Saved the best for last, duh."_

_"What the fuck? I know you didn't say he was better than me!"_

_"Of course I am, Axel."_

_"You wish."_

Cloud rolled his eyes, whispering Squall.

_To [Leonhart242: Sorry, my friends can be rather..nutty?_

_[Leonhart242 whispers: It's okay, mine can be rather out there. Not as far out as your friends are, but they can be a little crazy._

Cloud smiled to himself and lit another cigarette.

_To [Leonhart242: Just ignore Axel, he tends to lose his sanity, quite often._

_[Leonhart242 whispers: I've noticed. anyway, let's do this damn 'instance'!_

_"Alright, is everyone ready? 'Buffs' please."_

Squall and Axel put buffs on the entire group. Satisfied, Cloud lead the way into the instance, growling when Axel got ahead of him.

_"Damn it, Axel. Don't run off!"_

_"I'm not...Oh shit, I fell. AHH! LIZARDS!"_

_"Fucking dumbass."_

Cloud jumped off the ledge, trying to find where Axel was. Sora sent his pet after the 'mobs' surrounding Axel.

_"Fried lizard!"_

_"You're disgusting, Axel."_

_"But you love me, Sora."_

_"Sadly."_

Squall sighed on his end of the computer, pressing the button to 'target' Axel and heal him. He followed Cloud and the others down the stairway and into the instance. Sora pulled the two mobs in front of the group, waiting until they were away from the other mobs, Cloud charged after them. Axel laughed maniacally, throwing a fireball at one of the trolls.

_"Eat that you bitch ass, troll!"_

_"I should let you die."_

_"Squall, Axel, shush."_

Cloud sighed, proceeding farther into the instance. This was going to be a very long and annoying run through.

XXX

Finally, after about 4.5 hours, they were finished. Done, done with the goddamn instance.

_"Good job you guys, didn't take us too long."_

_"So says you, my wife's been nagging me to get off."_

_"Yeah, I need to get some sleep. Before I die!"_

_"Yeah, Axel, you die. I'd like to see that day."_

_"Oh shut up, Sora."_

Cloud laughed softly, he had to admit he loved his friends. If anything else, they kept him occupied.

_"I'll stop by your place later tonight Axel, with some pizza and beer. Sora, Demyx, you in?"_

_"Hell yeah!"_

_"Count me in, gives me and excuse to spend sometime away from Zexion."_

_"Alright, see you guys then."_

_"Bye!"_

Cloud logged out of the TS sever, pulling up his WoW screen and getting ready to exit it. However before he could, a whisper popped up.

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Thanks for the run, I had a good time. Even though that Axel fellow was a pain._

Cloud smirked, shaking his head slightly.

_To [Leonhart242: Yeah, he can be. He's a good friend though. I'm logging for the day, hit me up some other time._

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Sure thing, we should do some questing together. I had fun._

_To [Leonhart242: Alright, I'm done. Bye for now._

_[Leonhart242 whispers: See ya, Cloud._

With that, Cloud logged out of WoW, pushing himself away from the computer desk. He rose to his feet, turning the computer off and walking out of the room. He walked into the kitchen, his heart sinking a bit when he saw Aeris standing over the sink, her hands shaking while she washed dishes. If Cloud had to guess she was probably still upset with him for what he said. He swallowed hard, and took a step forward, wrapping his arms around his lovers waist. He kissed the side of her neck, whispering apologies into her ear. She turned in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Cloud." She mumbled out against his shirt, stroking her fingertips against the side of his neck.

Cloud just nodded, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. I mean, he loved her, if he didn't, he wouldn't be marrying her...Right?

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**Authors Note: **So, I hope everyone enjoyed. Tell me if you liked it. I thought it was something new to try out. And yes, this story is base on true events, like I said. Just obviously it was between a man and woman. And the apostrophe's were taken off after something was mentioned more than once, because I figured you guys got the idea. P Enjoy.


	2. Pictures and text messages

**Disclaimer: **This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. I don't own Squaresoft ( Square Enix ). As much as I wish I owned them, I don't. I don't own the characters in this story, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here writing. Though! The story is based on true events.

**Warnings: **Cloud's a nerd, think we established that in the last chapter. Oi, and Axel has a screw loose.

**Side note: **I know I explained this in the last chapter, but incase anyone forgot, lol.Anything that has an "apostrophe" at the beginning and end of it is something that is actually in game, or is a game itself, or movie, or is being used for gaming...You get it. And of course anything in italic is being spoken by another person, either over the microphone, on the phone, chat servers, anything. If I want it to be a thought it'll be bold and italic. P Okay, now that we all know what to expect, or what not, onward to the story!

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The pitter-patter of rain against the roof of the car was almost calming, in a way. Leaning his head back, Cloud enjoyed the sounds for a few moments, closing his eyes and trying to relax. Aeris had been giving him hell that morning, just for wanting to go over to Axel's house to set up their game and play together. She made it seem like Cloud wasn't meant to have friends. She also threw it in his face that he paid more attention to the game than her, and needed to stop playing all together.

"Women," Cloud said, rolling his eyes and turning the car off. He reached into the backseat, grabbing his two bags, one being filled with his big computer screen and wires, the other with his laptop and headset. He looked out through the windshield, sighing at how hard the rain was coming down now. He was going to have to book it from the car to Axel's door step to not get completely drenched.

Pushing the car door open, Cloud got out, kicking it closed and quickly making his way to Axel's door. He cursed, completely forgetting to pull the key he had to Axel's house, out of his pocket. Cursing again, he moved the bags that were hooked onto his shoulders aside slightly so he could reach into his pocket. Once he retrieved the key, he unlocked the door, turning the knob and using his shoulder to push it open.

Axel sat on the couch, clad in his 'Scooby doo' boxers, his hair sticking up in every direction, holding a hand held game console in his hands. Smiling at Cloud, Axel tilted the game console towards his chest so he could get a better look at the man dripping wet at his front door.

"Looking hot, Spiky." The red head laughed, tipping the game console back up so he could see it. Biting down on his lip, he stared down at the screen trying to concentrate.

"Thanks for the help, Axel." Cloud huffed out, pulling his bags off his shoulders and setting them down.

"No problem. How come I didn't hear 'Fenrir'?" Axel looked up for a second to glance at Cloud, before looking back down at the game in his hands.

"Because you dipshit, it's raining out and I couldn't ride on Fenrir with all this stuff. It would've been ruined." Sighing, Cloud began unpacking his bags, setting everything up where Axel's stuff was.

"Good point. Damn it!" Axel cursed at his game, gripping it tighter and growling at it.

Cloud raised his eyebrow, listening as the pokemon tune came from the speakers of the hand held console. "Please tell me you aren't playing pokemon.."

"I am not playing pokemon." Grinning, Axel cut the game off, setting it down on the table. "At least, not anymore."

Cloud rolled his eyes, laughing at his friend and placing his screen on one of the higher tables that were pushed back against the wall, in front of the couch. He put his laptop in front of where he and Axel would be sitting, grabbing a wire from the bag and hooking it into the back of the computer. He hummed as he walked over to the other screen, hooking the other end of the wire into it.

"So, when I called you earlier, it sounded like Aeris was giving you shit." Axel cocked his head to the side, standing from his place on the couch and moving over to where Cloud was. He began setting up his screens, plugging all the various wires into different out puts.

"When is she ever not," The blond sighed out, glancing over at Axel. "She thinks I should stop playing WoW, spend more time with her. She said that we need more communication, more romance. All the works."

Axel walked up behind Cloud, wrapping his arms around his friends shoulders, in a small hug. He kissed Cloud's jaw, smiling and then ruffling up his hair. "It'll be alright, Spiky. Now, let's gear up and play some fucking World of Warcraft!"

Axel stepped away from Cloud, disappearing down the hall and into his bedroom. Cloud stood up, walking over to the couch and sitting down. He plugged in his headset, sliding it over his head and leaning forward, he pressed the button to turn on his laptop, watching as the screen loaded up. Axel reappeared, this time with a black wifebeater on, still in his Scooby doo boxers, and a wrist brace on his left hand.

"You look so dorky when you wear that." Axel shrugged, walking into the kitchen and grabbing two mountain dews from inside the refrigerator.

"I have to wear it, doctors orders! Especially when I'm playing, you know I have a bad tendon in my wrist." He said, setting the drinks down in front of both him and Cloud, before taking his spot on the couch.

"Because you play video games too much." Cloud said, twisting the cap off his drink and taking a swig.

"I do not." The red head said, booting up his computer and grinning at Cloud.

"Axel, where do you work?"

"..Gamestop," He mumbled, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"And why?"

"So I can get discounts on games, and know when each game is being released. And this way I get them sooner than the public!" He said, pumping his fist into the air and smiling.

"Nerd."

"I resent that." They both laughed, pulling up their WoW screens, and moving them so they would be seen on the bigger screens. Axel reached under his couch, retrieving two wireless keyboards. Cloud took one of the keyboards, as well as one of the receivers and plugged it into his laptop. Axel did the same and then both logged into the game server.

"So, battlegrounds? Or questing today?"

"Let's try to get some questing done, Axel."

The red head scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Fine."

Cloud blinked when he heard a 'bing' noise, alerting him that he had a whisper.

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Hey there, Blondie._

"Who is that?" Axel said, moving his head into Cloud's view, trying to look at the others screen.

"Axel, move your fat head!"

"Is that Mr. Pally?"

"Well gee, I don't know, I can't fucking see!"

"It is! Hey, how does he know you're blond?"

"Wait, what?" Cloud asked in surprise, trying to peak over Axel's head to see the screen.

"Oh, wait, he probably got that picture I sent him. Damn it, move Axel." He pushed Axel to the side, growling at him and frowning.

Axel blinked at Cloud and crossed his arms over his chest. "What have we talked about? Rule number 1, never send your pictures to old men over the net!"

"He's only 26, Axel."

"He's still older than you." Axel nodded, poking at Cloud's arm.

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Are you there?_

_To [Leonhart242: Yes, I'm here. Sorry. So I take it you got my picture?_

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Okay, and yeah I did. I sent one of me to your email._

Cloud minimized the WoW screen, pulling up his Internet browser and typing in the link to check his email.

"We went to ST with him almost two weeks ago, why are you guys still talking?"

Cloud waved his hand at Axel, typing in his email address and password. "We did some questing together and another instance. And we've been talking and stuff, he's pretty cool."

Clicking the email from Squall, he waited for it to open, groaning when Axel moved his head into view.

"Apparently pretty hot, too." Axel grinned, looking back at Cloud, "Does he like red heads?"

Cloud rolled his eyes, shoving Axel away, yet again. "I don't know, why would I ask him that?"

"So I'll know if he'll like me." Axel raised his eyebrows, smirking at Cloud and sticking his tongue out.

"Axel, he's married."

"But not dead."

Rolling his eyes, Cloud looked over the picture, smiling softly and then saving it to his computer. He closed out of the Internet browser, bringing the WoW screen back up. Pressing 'R' on the wireless keyboard, he began to type his response to Squall.

_To [Leonhart242: I got it, my friend thinks you're hot. 'Lmao'_

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Which friend? And what about you, what do you think?_

Cloud smirked, glancing over at Axel who was glued to his screen, too enwrapped with WoW to even notice what he was typing.

_To [Leonhart242: Well, I thought you looked good. I like a man in a suit. What do you do for a living? And it was Axel._

_[Leonhart242 whispers: I'm a lawyer. And to think, I thought you only liked women. You were pretty cute. Now, what do you do for a living? And oh boy, the mage._

_To [Leonhart242: A lawyer, that's hot. I like women more than I like men, usually. I dated Axel on and off, before, during our high school years. I model part time, and work in a bar. _

_[Leonhart242 whispers: You slept with that weirdo? And yeah, I've been with guys before, but after I met Rinoa, my wife, things changed. And that's cool, what state do you live in?_

_To [Leonhart242: No! God no, I've never slept with a man. Gah, I just made it sound like a bad thing, but no, I've never been with a man, sexually. I live in New York, where are you located?_

_[Leonhart242 whispers: You're missing out winks 'lol'. And I actually live in Jersey, I come into New York a lot for some of the cases I do._

Cloud blushed, turning his head slightly and rubbing his cheek against his shoulder, in an attempt to make the red in his cheeks disappear.

_To [Leonhart242: Maybe I am. And that's pretty rad, maybe one of these days I'll see you around._

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Who knows, maybe you will._

Smiling the blond, glanced over at Axel, whose eyes were wide as he pounded the keys on his keyboard, trying to kill one of the mobs surrounding him.

"Give up, your as good as dead, your health is below 20."

"Never! I will kill this stupid human, if it's the last thing I do."

"You scare me sometimes, Axel."

After a few more poundings of the keys, the other man cursed throwing the keyboard down and crossing his arms over his chest. He pouted and stared at the screen, watching the little box come up and say 'Release spirit.'

"Told you, your health was below 20, and the humans was still above 40. You were as good as dead."

"Oh shut up, Cloud."

Smirking Cloud leaned his head on Axel's shoulder, his fingertips running up and down the red head's arm. "Aww, poor Axel. It'll be alright, you'll get that stupid human some other time." Nodding, Cloud pressed his lips to his friends shoulder, before sitting upright again.

Shivering from the lips that were previously on his shoulder, Axel smiled at Cloud, "Don't sound so sympathetic; I'll start thinking you care."

Cloud chuckled, shaking his head and glancing back at his screen.

_[Leonhart242 whispers: So, what do you do for fun?_

XXX

Axel now fully dressed emerged from his kitchen, muttering a few curses under his breath as he searched for his car keys.

"Come on, Cloud, log off the game."

"Alright, just one more second." Cloud said, still typing to Squall in game.

_To [Leonhart242: I have to go, my friends and I are meeting up at a club. Umm, how about I give you my cell number?_

Cloud swallowed hard, just realizing what he had said to the other man in game. He didn't know why he said it, or, why he had wanted to, but something felt right about doing it. And so he did, he gave Squall his cell phone number once he had replied with a simple 'okay.'

_To [Leonhart242: If you can, you should give me a call tonight. Or one of these days. Bye Squall._

Logging off the game before the other could reply, Cloud stood from his spot on the couch, starting to walk out the door with Axel.Now, Cloud didn't want to set his hopes too high, but he had to admit, he was really hoping Squall would call him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this guy made him feel warm inside, a feeling him and Aeris shared when they first met. Maybe it was the feeling of meeting, and getting to know, somebody new. Maybe the feeling would soon pass and Cloud would be over it. However long this 'feeling' would last, Cloud was just happy it was there.

Settling himself into passenger seat in Axel's car, Cloud buckled his seat belt and smiled at the red head in the drivers seat. "So, was this your idea or Demyx?"

"Mine, I figured we all needed to get out, have a couple of drinks, you know?" Axel draped his arm over the back of Cloud's seat, peering out his back window to see where he was going as he reversed the car out of the drive way.

"Well, I'll have to stay the night at your place, you know how Aeris gets when she finds out I've been drinking. I'll give her a call when we get there."

Axel nodded, taking the car out of reverse and putting it into drive. "Hold on, kiddo."

Cloud rolled his eyes, "Axel, your only three years older than me."

Grinning, the red head speeded off down the road, jerking Cloud back against his seat. He growled, smacking Axel on his arm, "Damn it, can't you ever behave?"

"Nah, then life wouldn't be any fun."

"I suppose you're right there."

Axel turned up the radio, grinning and raising his eyebrows as a song he liked started playing. He started drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, bobbing his head along with the beat.

"Please don't start singing Axel, every time you do, you get carried away. The last time you almost ended up with a speeding ticket."

"This song is worth it!"

"Even so you shou-" Cloud was cut off by Axel singing along with Mike Shinoda.

"Yeah, here we go for the hundredth time, hand grenade pins in every line, throw 'em up and let something shine. Going out of my fucking mind. Filthy mouth, no excuse. Find a new place to hang this noose. String me up from atop these roofs. Knot it tight so I won't get loose. Truth is you can stop and stare, bled myself out and no one cares. Dug a trench out, laid down there with a shovel up out to reach somewhere. Yeah someone pour it in, make it a dirt dance floor again. Say your prayers and stomp it out, when they bring that chorus in."

Axel foot had pressed down hard on the pedal, making the car leap forward and accelerate. "Sing with me, Cloud," he said, yelling over to music and glancing at the blond next to him.

Cloud rolled his eyes, laughing softly and singing along with, Axel. "I bleed it out, digging deeper just to throw it away."

He did love the speed, the music, the wind blowing against his face in the late evening. He tried to ignore the fact that Axel was going way over the speed limit, and was possibly going to be pulled over. No, instead he just enjoyed the ride, enjoyed the company of one of his best friends.

XXX

Worrying his lip, Cloud sat inside a booth at the club, staring down at his cell phone. He didn't know why, but he was a little upset Squall hadn't called him.

"Cloud, why do you keep looking at your cell phone, drink your drink." Demyx said, pushing Cloud's margarita closer to him.

"I thought you already talked to Aeris, Cloud?" Axel raised his eyebrow, draping his arm around Sora's shoulders.

"I did."

"God, Axel, get off me." Sora said, trying to wiggle away from Axel's reach.

"Then why do you keep looking at your cell?"

"No reason," The blond sighed, picking up his drink and sipping at it.

"Okay man, if you say so. You feel up to dancing?" Axel said, standing up and holding his hand out to Cloud.

The other man nodded, taking Axel's hand and sliding out of the booth and walking with him to the dance floor. As the walked towards the dance floor, Cloud's pocket vibrated and he bit down on his lip, and stopped walking. He waited for the vibrations to stop before he reached into his pocket. He blinked down at his phone, which was alerting him he had a new text message. Flipping it open, he pressed view message, the small smile that had been on his face slowly growing as he read the message.

"Why are you grinning like that?"

"Yeah, Cloud, why?" Demyx said, stepping up behind Cloud and Axel. He stood up on his tip toes, peering over Cloud's shoulder, "I hope you're having a nice time, Blondie." Demyx read aloud, tilting his head slightly.

"Who is that, Cloud?" Sora asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's that pally! You gave him your fucking phone number? What in the hell is wrong with you?"

Cloud quickly responded to the message, shoving his cell back into his pocket. He glanced around his friends, who were now in a circle around him.

"I don't know why I did it, Axel. I just, it, well it felt right to do. It's not like he can trace a cell phone."

"He's a lawyer, Cloud, if he wants to, he could pay people to do it."

"Exactly so, whoa, wait, he's a lawyer? Hey, never mind, he has money I'm staying out of this one." Demyx said, putting his hands up in the air.

"Demyx, shut up." Sora laughed, shoving at his friends arm.

Cloud's pocket started to vibrate again and Axel just rolled his eyes, waving his hand at the blond and walking away. Demyx gave him a sympathetic smile and patted him on the shoulder, before following Axel.

"Ah, fuck him, he's just jealous. So, is this lawyer guy hot?"

Cloud couldn't help smiling at Sora, nodding a bit and walking back to their table to sit down. Sora followed, ordering two more drinks for him and Cloud before sitting down at the table.

"Do you like him or something?"

"I've only known him like three weeks, Sora. And it's just a friendship thing, you know? We exchanged pictures, then numbers, nothing special. Besides, he's married and I'm getting married. I'm in a heterosexual relationship, unless some part of Aeris is a man I don't know about."

Both him and Sora busted out laughing, taking their drinks from the waiter and sipping lightly at them.

"I just thought it would be nice to meet someone new, you know?"

Sora just nodded, not bothering to interrupt Cloud, just wanting to be a friend and listen. Cloud sighed, glancing off and chewing on his nails, and bouncing his leg under the table. _**Damn anxiety, **_Cloud thought, running his fingers through his hair.

"I just wish Axel would understand."

Sora took another sip of his drinking, reaching his hand out and touching Cloud's. Shivering from Sora's cold fingers touching his Cloud glanced over at his friend.

"He's just worried about you, Cloud. Doesn't want you getting your hopes up again. You know how he is when someone hurts one of us." Sora said, making a few hand motions and then glancing at Axel and Demyx on the dance floor.

"He's a good friend, just worries a lot. I think that he favors you more because of your "disorder"." Cloud had to laugh as Sora did the little air quotations.

"I love Axel, don't get me wrong, Sora...And yeah I'm bipolar and I'm a little off my rocker sometimes. I've shaped up though, I'm taking my medicine. Aeris has stabilized my life, she's really lit it up."

"Sometimes I think Axel is jealous of that. Maybe he wishes he didn't fuck up with you, or maybe he wants what you have. Just give him time, he'll come around." Sora patted Cloud's hand, smiling at him.

Nodding, Cloud just sipped his drink, watching Axel and Demyx out on the dance floor. He really hoped Axel would understand that all Cloud wanted to do was meet someone new. He wanted to have another friend, someone else to get to talk to, get to know. Still, Cloud couldn't get past the feeling that he was attracted to this guy, much more then friendship wise. His phone vibrated again, and Cloud's heart jumped a bit, out of excitement, he hoped. He swallowed, trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach, the damn butterflies fluttering around. He loved Aeris, and he barely knew this guy; hell he had just met him three weeks ago! That was that, he was in love with Aeris, and only Aeris. Though, the sad thing about all this, is that he has to keep reminding himself that he loves her.

Sora rose from the seat, leaning over and pecking Cloud's cheek. "The heart works in mysterious ways, just be careful." Satisfied, Sora walked away, going off to find Axel and Demyx who had disappeared into the bathroom.

Staring down at his phone, he pulled up Aeris's number, texting her and sighing. _"I love you, Aeris." _ Was that a bad thing, that he had to text her to reassure himself? Cloud just sighed, agreeing with what Sora had said, you can't fight fate. He'll see how the cards are dealt and let things happen as they happen. It's not like he was cheating on her by talking to someone new. So again, he'd just let everything go with the flow, see how things turned out. Maybe the odds would be on his side and everything would work out for the best. One could only hope.

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**Authors note: **Okay, so I apologize for the last chapter being entirely centered, I don't know what was up with that. I fixed it though! And yes, for the people who play WoW, I know Squall's name can't have numbers, I'm well aware of that, it was just the only thing that came to mind rather than just Leonhart. So, don't jump my case about it. And yes, I made Cloud "bipolar", I told one of the reviwers that I'm trying to put as much emotion into this as possible. Like I said, a lot of this is based on true events, and so I'm trying to make it as 'real' as I can. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was A LITTTLE rushed, considering I'm bouncing back and forth from being at my apartment, to being at my friends apartment. Anyway, do enjoy! If anyone wants to see something in later chapters, please let me know. Send me an email, or whatever. ENJOY!


	3. No title

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. I don't own Squaresoft ( Square Enix ). As much as I wish I owned them, I don't. I don't own the characters in this story, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here writing. Though! The story is based on true events.

**Warnings**: A bit of touchy touch going on with Cloud and Aeris in the beginning. Read past it if you want.

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_"She's got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain. I hate to look into those eyes, and see an ounce of pain."_ Rolling over in the bed, Cloud shifted closer to Aries, playing with her hair and listening to the song fill the room.

_"Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place, where as a child I'd hide, and pray for the thunder, and the rain, to quietly pass me by." _He leaned closer to her, kissing the side of her face.

"I love you, Aeris." Cloud smiled down at Aeris, who was blinking her eyes open and stretching slightly, running her hands through her hair. She pressed her face into the pillow and mumbled an, 'I love you, too', to Cloud.

He pulled the covers up some, moving closer to Aeris, a small smirk playing on his lips. Tilting his head down, Cloud kissed along Aeris's jaw, nipping lightly at her skin. Cloud slid his hand under the night gown Aeris was wearing, running his fingers along her thighs. Biting her lip and sighing, she parted her legs, whimpering softly when Cloud bit into her neck. He kissed his way up to her lips, smiling against them when she lifted her arms, wrapping them around his shoulders. He removed his hand from underneath her night gown, sliding it up her stomach and chest, cupping her breast in his palm.

"..Cloud." She gasped into his mouth, shivering as he rubbed his thumb over her hardening nipple, through the thin material. She moved her hands down his bare chest, pushing him back slightly and blushing. He looked over her face, smiling softly at her flushed cheeks and her kiss swollen lips. Aeris moved over Cloud's body, pushing him down on the bed and straddling his hips. Grinning, Cloud grasped her waist, moaning softly when she grinded her hips down against his.

_"So give me one, good reason, I should be forgivin' you when I don't care anyway."_ Cloud blinked as his cell phone started going off, glancing over to where it was on the night stand.

"Let it ring, Cloud." Aeris said softly, grinding her hips down against Cloud's again. He gripped her waist tighter, pushing his hips up against hers and tilting his head back. He loved touching her, he loved being with her, he didn't understand why he questioned loving her to begin with.

_"So give me two, good reasons I should be forgivin' you when I'm the victim today."_ Okay, that was it, Cloud couldn't take it; he had to get his phone. He sat up, still holding Aeris in his lap as he reached over and grabbed his phone from the night stand.

He read the caller ID, his breath catching in his throat. "U-Umm, I hate to do this to you, Aeris, but I need to take this call."

Her eyes widened as she was gently pushed off of him, back on to the bed. She watched him get up, shove his hand down his pants to fix himself, and then walk out of the room.

"H-Hello?" He held the phone to his ear, stepping outside and sitting down on one of the lawn chairs.

_"Hey there, Blondie." _

Cloud's heart did a little jump as he heard Squall say that, he smiled, biting down on his lip, trying to keep himself from blushing.

"You know, you interrupted me."

_"Doing what?"_

"Trying to get some." Cloud laughed into the phone, looking around for his pack of cigarettes, sighing when he realized they were inside, and he was still in his pajamas.

_"Oh! Well, should I let you go then?" _

He panicked, not sure what to say; he really wanted to talk to Squall, but then again he really wanted to take care of his 'problem'.

"No, I.. I mean I want to talk to you. We haven't spoken in a week or so. And this is our first time talking on the phone."

Aeris peaked her head out the back door, sighing and tossing Cloud his pack of cigarettes. "I figured you wanted them. I have to start getting ready for work, I'll see you later tonight."

He thanked her, and she nodded, disappearing back inside.

"Sorry about that." Cloud pulled a cigarette from the pack, lighting it up and taking a drag off of it. "So what are you doing?"

_"Not a whole lot, my wife just left for work, so I'm here with the kids right now."_

A soft smiled appeared on Cloud's lips, he loved kids, and looked forward to some day having some of his own.

"That's cute, how old are they?"

_"Well, one of them isn't mine, she's from my wives previous relationship. Her name is Selphie, and she's 4, then our son, Tidus, he's 1."_

"I bet they're adorable." He took another drag off his cigarette, glancing around the backyard.

_"Yeah, they're pretty amazing; a handful, but amazing. They are my life, I love them to death."_

"That's sweet, the only thing I have close to a kid right now is my cat." The both of them laughed; a feeling stirring up in the pit of Cloud's stomach. He swallowed, ignoring the feeling and flicking his cigarette out into the yard.

_"So, are you off work tonight?"_

"Yeah, thank God." He rose to his feet, pulling the back door open and stepping inside.

"What about you?"

_"Home for the day, if I wasn't I'd be gone by now."_

"That's cool." Making his way into the living room, Cloud glanced out the front window before taking a seat on the couch. "So?"

_"You should send me some more pictures."_

Blushing a bit, Cloud lifted his hand to his face and started to chew on his nails; nervous habit.

"Well, I could take some more with my phone. I also have some older ones on my phone, if you want them." Shaking his head, Cloud laughed softly. "That is, if you have a camera phone."

He heard Squall yawn on the other end of the phone, before he answered him. _"Just so happens I do."_

"Well, I'll have to get off the phone to take some and send them."

_"Alright, you can call me back once your done, if you want."_

Cloud nodded, even though Squall couldn't see him. "Okay, I'll talk to you in a few."

They hung up and the blond tilted his head to the side, groaning softly when his neck popped. Standing up, he rubbed at his stomach, walking down the hall way towards his bedroom. Stepping into the bathroom, Cloud flicked the light switch on and stared at himself in the mirror. He rolled his eyes, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix it.

Flipping his phone open, Cloud pressed the camera button, biting down on the corner of his lip and holding the phone up to the mirror. He took a picture, turning his phone back around to look at it.

"You look good." Cloud jumped at the sound of another mans voice, tripping over the hamper that was in the bathroom and falling into the bathtub.

He looked up, growling when he saw Axel leaning against the door frame. "Sorry spiky, didn't mean to scare you. You alright?" Axel held his hand out to Cloud, who took it and allowed the red head to pull him out of the tub.

"I'm fine, why are you here?"

"Just wanted to stop by and say hey," he dropped Cloud's hand walking out of the bathroom. "Why were you taking a picture?" Axel asked once Cloud stepped out of the bathroom.

"Squall asked for one." The blond mumbled, sitting down on his bed and sending the picture. He closed his phone, setting it down on the nightstand and looking over at Axel.

"What was that? I didn't hear you?" Axel leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrow.

"S-Squall, he asked for one." Cloud stuttered, starting to pick at his nails as he glanced around the room. "Don't be mad at me, Axel."

Shaking his head, Axel walked over to the bed and sat down next to the blond. "I'm not mad, I, I just don't see why you keep talking to him."

Cloud shrugged, watching as Axel took his hands into his own. "Is it the attention? Do you want attention, Cloud?"

The blond chewed on the inside of his cheek, shrugging again. Honestly, he really didn't know what to say; he wished he could answer Axel, but he couldn't even answer the question himself.

He looked up at Axel again, his eyes going wide when he felt a pair of lips against his own. "If this is what you want, Cloud, I'll give it to you."

Cloud's hands went straight for Axel's chest, trying to push him away. The red head pressed his lips harder against Cloud's, his tongue brushing out against the blond's lower lip.

"Axel, please stop."

"I thought this was what you wanted. You know, attention." Axel said, kissing at the corner of Cloud's lips.

"I, I don't know what I want.." The blond said, dropping his hands from Axel's chest. He pulled his head back slightly, his eyes examining Axel's face, sighing softly.

This time Cloud pressed his lips to Axel, causing the other man to jump in surprise. Cupping his face in the palms of his hands, Cloud nipped at the red heads lower lip. He had no idea why he was doing this, maybe to prove himself wrong; trying to convince himself that he didn't like Squall, that all he wanted was attention, like Axel said.

Cloud laid back on the bed, pulling Axel down with him and wrapping his arms around the older mans shoulders. "Would you be angry if I said I just wanted to lay here..?"

Axel shook his head, pecking the blond on the lips and smiling softly. They both settled down in the bed, Axel's arms wrapped around Cloud's waist, his fingers stroking up and down the others back. "You really are beautiful, Cloud."

The blond blushed, burying his head into the crook of Axel's neck, letting out a small sigh. "I want to take a nap, so be quiet, please."

"Sorry."

XXX

Cloud snuggled closer to Axel, swallowing hard when he felt the red head's fingers run across the scars on his arms. "Don't touch them Axel."

"Sorry, I forgot.." The red head sighed, leaning his head down and kissing Cloud's forehead. Axel raised his eyebrow when Cloud's cell phone started to vibrate on the night stand.

He reached over, grabbing Cloud's cell phone, getting ready to hand it to him until he read the caller ID. Axel growled, flipping the phone open, sitting up in the bed and holding it to his ear. "He's busy, don't call back."

Cloud's eyes widened, and he sat up in the bed, shoving at Axel. "What the fuck?! That was my call!"

"Now he's calling you? Cloud, don't you think that's a little too much? I could handle the texting, but calling! Come on!"

"It's my phone, he's allowed to call me if he wants to."

"He's married, Cloud, he shouldn't be interested in you. Especially, when your engaged."

"We're just friends," Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, turning his head to the side. "And you're one to talk, when just two hours ago you had your hands all over me."

"That's different!" Axel said, pushing the covers aside and sliding out of the bed. "And you know that, Cloud."

"Really? Please, tell me how that is different, Axel..?" Cloud looked over at Axel, his eyebrow raising.

"I-It just is, okay?"

"No, I want an explanation."

"He could be some psycho killer, Cloud."

"That's for me to deal with, not you."

"I'm your friend, and I love you, I'm allowed to worry about you."

Cloud sighed, getting out of the bed and stretching. "Whatever Axel, I'm not going to listen to this. Maybe you should just go home."

Axel stared at Cloud, a frown appearing on his face. "C-Cloud.., I just want you to be okay."

Growling, Cloud turned on his heel, picking a pillow up from the bed and hurling it at Axel. "I am okay!"

Axel ducked out of the way, glancing behind him when the pillow hit the wall. He shook his head, looking back at Cloud.

"Fine, be that way then, see if I care." With that said, Axel left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Furious, Cloud followed after him, "If you care about me so much you wouldn't be doing this. Getting all jealous and stuff. You'd support any decision I made, even if it was a bad one."

Axel stopped, slowly turning around, gritting his teeth and glaring at Cloud. "Yes, I am supposed to support you; but if I think you're making the wrong decision I am supposed to tell you. You have no business getting close to this man, and you know that! The only reason you are doing this is for the thrill of the chase. It's something you can't have, and you want it. You're greedy, Cloud."

Cloud's mouth hung open as he tried to speak, tears stinging the corner of his eyes. "I-I am not greedy!"

"Yes, you are. If you loved Aeris so much you would've said no to me kissing you earlier."

"I tried!"

"Not hard enough. And you're right, I am jealous. I love you, Cloud, always have. I want what's best for you. I don't think marrying Aeris is what's best for you, nor do I think talking to Squall is."

"Oh, and being with you would be what's best."

"I'd like it, but no, it's not what's best."

Cloud rubbed at his eyes, "You don't get to decide what's best for me."

"Maybe not, but I do get to have my opinion."

Tears fell down Cloud's face, as his eyes darted around to room. Everything Axel was saying went straight to his heart and caused him pain, emotional pain, yes, but still it hurt.

"Why can't you respect my decisions?" He sobbed out, sinking down to the floor.

"I do, just not on this one. Cloud, he's married, he has kids! You should be respecting his family, by not talking to him."

"We're just friends.." The blond said, picking at his pant leg.

"You say that now, and yet you get worked up over the shit I'm saying about him. I just don't want you hurt." Axel sat down next to Cloud, pulling him into his arms and nuzzling the side of his head.

"I love you, Cloud. I want you to know that. You are a very good friend of mine. We have a long history together," Axel brushed his fingertips against the scars on Cloud's arms. "And I would do anything for you."

"Then just b-be my friend, let me make my own mistakes." Balling his fists in Axel's shirt, Cloud looked up at him.

"I want to protect you."

"You can't always be my angel."

Axel smiled softly, pecking Cloud on the lips. "I can try though."

"I don't need your saving, not this time, Axel. I'm okay, honestly."

"Just promise me you'll limit your talking to him.."

"I'll try."

"Promise me, Cloud."

"You know I can't."

Axel sighed, running his fingers through the blond's hair. "Fine, I'll have to accept the, 'I'll try'."

"Do you promise to love me, no matter what decision I make?"

"Like you had to ask." Axel smiled, pressing a kiss to Cloud's forehead, running his thumb under Cloud's eyelid, wiping away a tear.

Cloud cuddled up to Axel, sniffling and rubbing at his eyes again. "Am I hurting you, Axel?"

"No, I'm fine, love."

"I, I meant emotionally. You know, with me marrying Aeris and all?"

"Let's save that for another day, okay?"

Cloud nodded, glancing around his living room and sighing softly. Did Axel really think he was greedy? Or was he just trying to hurt him? Questions Cloud wanted answered, but thought it'd be best not to ask. He was, honestly, afraid of the answer. His heart just couldn't take any more pain, and his eyes hurt from crying. Axel had a point though, Cloud had no reason to be getting worked up over some guy, he met over the internet. This was stupid. He was stupid.

Sniffling again, Cloud buried his head into Axel's chest. "I love you, Axel."

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**Authors Note:** I apologize for it being short, semi-sappy, and lame. I'm in a big rush. I've got a lot of things going on at my end, so it's taking me awhile to actually sit down and write. So, if anyone wants to see something in the next chapter, feel free to tell me. You can e-mail me your ideas if you want, if you feel it's too long for a review comment. Thank you for the reviews! Again, I apologize, do try to enjoy though.


	4. Face to face

**Disclaimer: **This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. I don't own Squaresoft ( Square Enix ). As much as I wish I owned them, I don't. I don't own the characters in this story, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here writing. Though! The story is based on true events.

**Warnings: **I'm not telling O.O

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_His chest heaved as he ran through the woods, blood trickling down the side of his face. Glancing back, he tripped over some tree roots, but instead of falling face first into the dirt, he fell through it. Squeezing his eyes shut, he cried out. When he opened them, he was strapped to a chair. _

_"No..W-why are you doing this? Please, stop." He cried, it quickly turning into a moan of pain when he took a blow to the head. He squeezed his eyes shut again, counting down from 10 and then opening them. This time when he opened them he was laying in the middle of a field. He sat up quickly, looking around, tears mixing with the blood on his face. _

_He cradled his head in his hands, slowly rising to his feet. Sobbing, he let his hands drop from his head, looking around the field again. _

_"I hate you!" He screamed, a big gush of wind knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. He leaned up on his elbows, everything around him turning black. _

_"P-Please, stop doing this.." Begging, he got up on his hands and knees, crawling across the empty room to where the other person was now standing. He grabbed onto the person's leg, hugging it tightly._

_Smirking, the other person raised their hand.._

Cloud's eyes shot open, his heart pounding, his chest heaving and his body covered in sweat. _**Not again, God please, not again. **_He sat up in the bed, swallowing hard and running his hand through his sweaty hair.

He glanced over at Aeris who was still sleeping, and let out a small sigh of relief, glad he didn't wake her. He slid out of the bed, grabbing his cell phone off the night stand, and making his way out of the room. Cloud walked down the hall to his computer room, slipping inside the dark room and closing the door behind him. He leaned against the door, inhaling heavily and sliding down to the floor. He flipped open his cell phone, scrolling through his contacts list and stopping at Axel's name. He hesitated before pressing the call button and holding the phone to his ear.

_"Yo, it's Axel and obviously I'm not answering my phone, or it's off. So, leave me a message, I might get back to you!"_

Cloud smiled when he heard Axel's voice, but his smile turned to a frown when he realized it was his answering machine. He chewed on his lower lip, pressing the end button and calling him again. After a few tries, he finally decided to leave a message, a few tears slipping from his eyes.

"A-Axel," His voice broke and he frowned, quickly clearing his throat before speaking again. "Hey, Axel, I need to talk to you. I, I um, well I had that dream again. It really scared me this time, I mean, I'm sitting here drenched in my own sweat and tears. Um, it's not that big of a deal, but if you could please call me back...I love you, bye."

Cloud flipped his cell phone closed, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes and sniffling. He was going to be okay, nothing to worry about. He pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling. _**Yeah, so much for okay, here comes an anxiety attack. Oh xanax, where are you. **_

Walking over to his computer desk, he pulled open the top drawer, pulling out a bottle of pills and his pack of cigarettes. He sat down in the computer chair, turning his computer on and opening the bottle of pills. Popping one of the blue pills out of the bottle and into his mouth, he swallowed it, making a face at the taste of it.

"Disgusting." He said, closing the bottle and tossing it back into the drawer and pushing it closed.

He sighed, taking a cigarette from his pack and lighting it. He shifted in the computer chair, leaning forward a bit and staring at the screen, placing his hand on the mouse. He clicked on the World of Warcraft shortcut on his desktop and waited for it to load up. He took a drag of his cigarette, typing in his user name and password.

"You better be on, Axel." Cloud mumbled to himself, logging into his character and leaning back in the computer chair. He closed his eyes, taking another drag off his cigarette.

Cloud raised his eyebrow when he heard the noise, alerting him that he had a whisper. He sat up in the chair, putting his cigarette out in the ash tray.

"Thank God, Ax-" Squinting, Cloud read the username, biting down on his lip.

"What the hell is, Squall doing up this early..?"

He replied, telling Squall he was just seeing if Axel was on and was now logging off.

_[Leonhart242 whispers: Do you mind if I call you?_

_To [Leonhart242: No, go right ahead, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to._

Cloud smiled, logging off the game and shutting his computer down. He hummed, drumming his fingertips against the computer desk, waiting for Squall to call. When Cloud's phone finally rang, the blond jumped in his chair, laughing to himself and then grabbing for the phone.

"Hey," He answered, a small blush creeping into his cheeks.

_"Hey, I'm glad you logged onto the game. I was going to wait until later to call you.."_

"Why? What's up?" Raising his eyebrow, Cloud cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear, stretching his arms over his head.

_"Well, I just got into New York, and I was wondering if you wanted to meet up." _

Cloud dropped his hands, the phone almost slipping down from his shoulder. He quickly grabbed it, holding it to his ear.

"Y-You mean, your in New York now?"

_"Yes, I believe that's what I just said. Come on, I'll treat you to breakfast."_

"What time is it?"

_"6:22 a.m. Is that a yes or a no? We can talk over a cup of coffee and some waffles."_

Cloud couldn't help giggling, and not thinking he said yes to meeting Squall.

"We can meet up at Andrew's."

_"Andrews?"_

Cloud blushed, "Sorry, Andrew's coffee shop. It's where me and my friends go after work or if we're all up early."

_"Right then, I'll see you there in, oh say, half an hour?"_

"Okay, sounds good." Cloud flipped his phone closed, holding it against his chest and breathing out slowly, a small grin appearing on his lips.

He quickly got up, being as quiet as possible while trying to get ready. He slipped in and out of his room as quietly as he could, holding his clothes and hair products in his hands, deciding to use the bathroom down the hall. Getting dressed as fast as he could, Cloud stared at his reflection in the mirror, and sighing. He shrugged, fixing his hair, smiling when he finished. He turned the bathroom light off, stepping into the hallway and shoving his feet into his shoes.

Once he got to the front door, he patted down the trench coat he was wearing, making sure he had everything he needed. _**Keys, cigarettes, wallet, good to go! **_He grabbed his goggles off the table by the door and scribbled a note for Aeris, telling her he had an early photo shoot. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. Locking up the door, he breathed in heavily through his nose, shoving the keys back in his pocket. Cloud walked down the steps, following the pathway to the driveway. Grinning, he pulled the tarp off Fenrir, balling it up and setting it near the stairs. He walked back over to the bike, pulling the sleeve of his trench coat over his hand and wiping a fingerprint off the bike.

Straddling the bike, Cloud slid the goggles over his face and pulled his keys out of his pocket again. He put the key in the ignition, starting up the bike and pushing the kickstand up with the heel of his shoe.

**XXX**

Cloud had arrived at Andrew's at exactly 7 on the dot, which was pretty good, considering he left the house at like 6:45 a.m. He pulled his trench coat off, draping it over his arm and stepping inside the building. He sat down at an empty booth, pulling his pack of cigarettes and lighter from his trench coat pocket, before laying the coat down on the seat.

"What can I get you, honey?"

Cloud looked up at the waitress, smiling softly. "Um, can I just get a coffee and an ashtray for now?"

She wrote in her pad, nodding and smiling at him. "Sure thing."

She went over to another table, grabbing an ashtray off it and bringing it back to Cloud.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome, doll. My name is Tina, if you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you again, and I will."

"I'll be right back with your coffee."

Cloud nodded, pulling a cigarette from the pack in his hand, lighting it up and then placing the pack on the table next to the napkin dispenser. He rested his elbows on the table, taking a drag off his cigarette.

"Here you are, hon." Tina placed a coffee mug in front of Cloud, turning slightly so she could pour the coffee with her other hand. "You need any cream?"

"Please," He said, reaching for the packets of sugar. The woman nodded, walking off to get the cream for his coffee. Cloud poured four packets of sugar into his coffee, stirring it with the spoon that was wrapped in one of the napkins. He smiled when Tina came back over, handing him two packets of cream.

"Thank you."

"Mm-hmm." She nodded and walked off to another table.

Cloud opened the cream, pouring it into his coffee, jumping and spilling a little on the table when his cell phone started going off. He took one last drag off his cigarette, putting it out in the ashtray. He dug into his trench coat pockets, pulling out his cell phone and flipping it open. He read the caller ID, smiling a bit when he saw Axel's name.

He pressed the talk button, holding the phone to his ear. "Hey."

_"Hey Cloud, sorry it took me to call you back. Are you okay? Where are you?"_

Cloud laughed a little, taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm fine, I'm up here at Andrew's waiting on S-"

_"You're at Andrew's? Okay, I'll be there in a few."_

"No, wait, Axel.." Cloud frowned when he heard the line go dead.

No sooner had he hung up the phone, a man slid into the booth, sitting across from Cloud. The blond looked up, his eyes going wide as he stared at the man sitting across the table.

"Hey there, Blondie. Nice to finally see you face to face."

Swallowing, Cloud nodded, watching Squall remove his jacket, wearing a black wifebeater underneath it.

"So, did you order already?" Squall asked, motioning to Cloud's coffee.

"N-No, I just got this."

The brunette smiled, leaning back against the seat. "Are you nervous?"

Cloud opened his mouth, but no words came out. He quickly closed his mouth, staring down at the table. How could he not be nervous? He knew Squall was good looking, but damn he looked so much better in person. And the picture he sent Cloud must have been an old one, because his hair was longer, and he had a scar on his face.

"How'd you get that?" Cloud blurted out, his cheeks turning bright red. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to.."

Squall laughed, placing his hand on top of Cloud's, causing the blond to blush even more. "Hey, it's not a problem. Don't apologize, no reason to. I got into a fight a year ago, broken bottle, you know?" The brunette shrugged, removing his hand from on top of Cloud's when the waitress walked over.

"But the picture you sent," Cloud tilted his head, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, I meant to tell you, it's two years old. I should be the one apologizing."

The blond bit his lip and nodded, looking down at his lap.

"Do I really look that different?"

Cloud quickly shook his head, looking up at Squall. "No, I was just curious. Other then your hair being longer, you look the same."

Squall smirked, ordering a coffee and some bacon. Cloud just shook his head when the waitress asked if he wanted anything.

"Does that mean you still find me attractive?"

Cloud swallowed hard, and nodded slowly. "Yes, I do."

"That's good then." Squall took the coffee cup from the waitress, telling her he didn't want cream.

"Cloud!" Someone had called him from across the room, and of course, Cloud knew who it was. He frowned when Squall turned around a bit, looking over at where Axel was.

Cloud sighed, "That's Axel." The blond said to Squall, before sliding out of the seat. "I'll be right back, okay?"

The older man nodded, watching Cloud walk over to where the furious red head was standing.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Cloud asked Axel to step outside with him. God knows, he didn't want Axel causing a scene in the restaurant. Axel followed Cloud outside, a frown fixed on his face.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Who do you think, Axel?"

The red head growled, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I can't believe you agreed to meet him! What is wrong with you?"

"I needed someone to talk to! I was scared, Axel. You didn't answer the phone, and he said he was in town and asked if I wanted to get breakfast."

"I called you back as soon as I could."

"I know, but I needed to get out of the house, and when he offered, I took it."

"I can't believe you, Cloud! I'm not going to sit here and listen to your damn excuses. I have to be at work soon. You're going to later regret all of this, Cloud." Axel shook his head, starting to walk away from Cloud.

"Why are you being so god damn mean to me lately?"

"Well, take a look at what you're doing, meeting some guy you barely know. And you say it's not going to turn into anything more." Axel laughed, rolling his eyes, slowly turning to face Cloud. "You and I both know, that that's a big lie."

Cloud frowned, tears threatening to fall down his face. Axel sighed, his heart starting to ache when he saw that he had brought Cloud close to tears. Stepping closer, he wrapped his arms around his friend in a hug.

"I love you, Cloud. And God, please be careful, okay? Call me later, tell me how it went with him, yeah?" Axel pulled back, smiling down at Cloud.

The blond lifted his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. "I will, and I love you, too." Nodding, Axel kissed his cheek before walking to his car. Cloud watched Axel get in his car and drive off before stepping back inside the restaurant.

Cloud let out a heavy sigh, sliding back into the booth. "I'm sorry about that. I should also apologize for him hanging up on you the other day."

"It's okay, he loves you, which means he's only worried about you. Besides, you two seem to have quite a past together."

"How do you figure that?"

Squall smiled, picking up a piece of bacon when the waitress set the plate down.

"The way he blew up when he saw you sitting with me. And there is a reason he's a little more than over protective of you. I might not know it, but there is one."

Cloud slid his arms under the table, letting his fingertips run over the scars on his arm. He stared down at the table, Squall's voice fading into the background.

_::Flashback::_

_"Quit that crying," The woman standing behind Cloud demanded, smacking him upside his head._

_"I can't help it." Cloud winced when she hit him, holding the back of his head with one hand, rubbing his eyes with the other._

_"You have no reason to be crying." She folded her arms over her chest, walking around Cloud and standing in front of him._

_"Go away.." Cloud mumbled, rising to his feet and walking down the hall. He glanced over his shoulder, watching the woman follow behind him._

_"Mom, I said to go away." He stepped into his bedroom, slamming his door shut in her face; hoping she'd get the message to leave him be._

_"You will not talk to me like that, I am your mother." She opened the door, leaning against the doorframe. _

_Cloud just sighed, crawling into his bed and pulling the covers over his head. "Please, just stop."_

_"No, you have no reason to be crying, Cloud!"_

_"I can't fucking help it! How many times do I have to tell you! I can't control it." He sat up in the bed, screaming, his hands going straight for his hair._

_"Oh stop that acting, I'm tired of it, Cloud." The woman rolled her eyes, watching her son tug at his hair and rock back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably. _

_"You don't understand, you never will." Cloud started to pull at his shirt collar, suddenly feeling very hot and uncomfortable. _

_"I understand you're being stupid." _

_"Would it be easier on you if I was gone?" He stared at his mother._

_"Do what you want, Cloud. I'm going to work now," She held her finger up, pointing at him. "One more, even the tiniest, outburst, you're gone. You hear me? I will have you locked up."_

_She slammed the bedroom door closed and Cloud stared, the color draining from his face. He didn't want to be locked away. Why didn't she understand, he'd be over this in a few days. He couldn't help his crashes, and the medicine he took always made him sick. Why did doctors think medicine was always the answer?_

_Tired and aching, Cloud climbed out of the bed, pulling back the curtain on his window and watching his mother's car leave the driveway. He choked out a sob, burying his face in his hands and screaming._

_"I, I can't do this any more.." He mumbled to himself, running his hand through his hair. "I just can't.."_

_He pulled open his bedroom door, looking down the hallway, his lips quivering as a few more tears slid down his cheeks. He slowly made his way into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. Opening the medicine cabinet, he pulled out a little blue box, his hands shaking. He opened the box, using his fingers to push things aside. Biting down on his lip, he pulled the razor blade from it's spot in the corner of the box. Placing the box back in the cabinet, Cloud backed up against the wall, sliding down it and turning the blade over in his fingers._

_He glanced around the bathroom, sniffling and deciding to crawl into the bathtub. He turned the water on, shivering when the water started to soak through his pants. He plugged the drain, swiping the back of his hand across his cheek, wiping away a few tears. He leaned back against the tub, holding his one arm up slightly. He sobbed, lifting the razor blade to his wrist, and biting down on his lip. _

_"Forgive me," He whispered, before pressing the blade into his skin and closing his eyes._

_XXX_

_Axel lifted the flowerpot next to the door, picking up the key from underneath it. He placed the flowerpot back down on the ground, standing up straight and unlocking the front door. He turned the knob, pushing the door open and peaking his head inside._

_"Hey Spiky, where are you?" Axel called out into the empty house, a small frown fixed on his face, something didn't feel right. _

_He stepped inside, closing the door and making his way into the living room. He glanced around before walking down the hallway. He stopped when his boots squished in the carpet, his eyebrow arching._

_"What the hell?" He looked down at the soaked carpet, turning so he was facing the bathroom door. He jiggled the doorknob, frowning when it wouldn't turn._

_"Hey, Cloud, did you fall asleep in there?" He pounded on the door, leaning over slightly to flick the hallway light on. He looked down at the floor again, his eyes going wide when he saw that not only was the carpet soaked with water, but also blood._

_"CLOUD!" Axel screamed, pounding on the bathroom door again. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone and dialing 9-1-1. _

_"Yes, I need an ambulance, I think my friend is hurt." Axel said into the phone once the operator picked up. He growled, giving her the address and telling her to hurry and send somebody. _

_He threw his phone down, grabbing the doorknob, and turning slightly so his shoulder was pressed up against the door. "Hold on, Cloud."_

_Pulling back, Axel grit his teeth before slamming his shoulder into the door. "Fuck! Open you stupid door." He did it again, stumbling inside the bathroom once the door finally swung open. He held himself up by the sink, the floor slick with water and blood. _

_Closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh, he reached his hand out, pulling the shower curtain back. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened in horror as he stared at his boyfriend in the bathtub, blood seeping from the two huge cuts going from his wrist to the crease of his elbow. Sinking to his knees, Axel cried out Cloud's name, grabbing his boyfriend's soaked shirt and pulling him out of the bathtub._

_"Oh God, Cloud, no. Please, please don't do this to me." Axel held Cloud's limp body in his arms, his fingers reaching out to touch the arm that was bleeding. And it seemed, just the simple touch made it bleed more. Axel gagged; there was so much blood, and the smell, the smell was awful._

_Cloud's head lolled back and forth, he could hear a faint voice, and he tried hard to follow the sound, but he couldn't move. His body was too weak, and his vision was blurred. _

_"Stay with me, Cloud." He grabbed Cloud's arm, shoving it under his shirt and applying pressure to it, trying to get the bleeding to stop. Tears fell from the teens eyes, as he leaned his head closer to Cloud, pressing his lips to the blond's forehead._

_"S-S-She said she w-was g-going to lock m-me up," Cloud said in between short breaths, his body starting to tremble as he lost more blood. _

_"Shh, don't talk," Axel's hands were covered in blood as he brushed a few stray hairs out of his boyfriends face. _

_Axel held Cloud closer to his body, sobbing, and kissing him all over his face. "Just stay with me, Cloud. Don't leave me."_

_The blond looked up at Axel the best he could, his vision starting to go in and out. He swore that he saw a shining light circling Axel's head._

_"M-M-My angel.." Cloud choked out, his body jerking in Axel's arms._

_"Oh God, don't do this, Cloud. Don't you die on me!" The red head squeezed Cloud's arm harder, tears pouring down his cheeks now._

_He rested his head against the side of Cloud's face, whispering in his ear. "I'll protect you," He said, rocking both him and Cloud back and forth. "Just don't leave me." He pressed a kiss to Cloud's ear, "I love you."_

_::End Flashback::_

Cloud grimaced, his fingers still running over the scars on his arm. He could remember the smell of blood, the whirr of the ambulance, the sound of Axel's crying. God, he remembered it all, so vividly, it scared him.

"Yeah, we have a long history together. He, he saved my life." Cloud spoke, chewing on the inside of his lip.

"And how did he do that?"Squall asked quietly.

"I don't feel open to talking about that." The blond sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck. "It was years ago."

"Fair enough, some other time, perhaps."

Cloud nodded, glad that Squall hadn't pressed for an answer. Smiling the blond stole a piece of bacon from Squall's plate. "Thank you!" He scrunched up his nose, taking a bite of the bacon.

Squall smirked, "That's cute."

Blushing, Cloud stuck his tongue out at him, blushing even more when Squall reached out, grabbing the tip of Cloud's tongue with his fingers. "Don't stick your tongue out unless you intend to use it."

Squall released Cloud's tongue, smiling at him. Cloud licked over his lips and winked at the brunette. "Maybe I do."

Raising his eyebrow, Squall leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on the table. "Is that so?"

Cloud leaned forward, inches away from Squall's face, he loved being a tease. "Yeah." He grinned when Squall leaned forward a bit more, puckering up his lips. Instead of Cloud kissing Squall, he turned his head slightly and licked the brunette's cheek.

Sitting back in the booth, Squall made a face, laughing softly. "Nice move, that was smart."

Cloud took a sip of his now cold coffee and shrugged. "I used my tongue, didn't I?"

"You did." The older man nodded, "Had me going for a minute, too. I thought, I was going to get a kiss."

Cloud faked a gasp, and held his hand over his chest. "On our first date? What do you take me for?"

The both of them laughed, and Squall mentioned something about a second date, which had Cloud doing a little happy dance inside. All the time they spent talking on the phone, and on the computer, somehow made Cloud feel closer to the man sitting across the table from him. And he knew he shouldn't take it any further than this; just flirting.

**XXX**

Cloud and Squall had spent a few hours at the restaurant, talking about almost everything they could think of. They shared some personal stories, others that were embarrassing. Cloud had never smiled so much, nor had he ever laughed as much as he had that morning. It made him feel warm inside, and so many emotions came springing to life inside of him.

Squall yawned, nodding his head in agreement with what Cloud had said. "Yeah, society sucks."

The blond frowned a bit, glancing over at the big clock on the wall. "Oh, I've kept you all morning! It's almost noon. You should go back and get some sleep."

Laughing softly, Squall nodded again. "I should, but I don't want to." He smiled at Cloud, brushing his fingertips against Cloud's hand.

Cloud smiled, "Well, we can hang out again later tonight. You can meet my other friends."

"Alright, that sounds like a plan." They both slid out of the booth, grabbing their coats and walking up to the cash register.

"It's on me, Blondie." Cloud bit his lip before nodding, telling Squall he was going to step outside and smoke a cigarette.

Once outside, Cloud lit up his cigarette, deciding he'd have to stop at the store on his way home and buy another pack. He took a drag off his cigarette, staring down at the ground and counting the various cracks in the sidewalk.

"I hope you had a good time."

Cloud turned to face Squall, nodding and blowing the smoke out of his mouth. "I did, thank you."

"My pleasure, I'm glad we got to meet."

"Agreed." Smiling, Cloud took another drag off the cigarette, inhaling and then blowing more smoke out. "So, we'll hook up again, later tonight?"

"Of course."

"Alright, well," The blond glanced around, before taking a step back. "I'll talk to you later then."

Squall watched as the younger male turned on his heel, about to walk away from him. He couldn't let him just walk away like that. Reaching out, Squall grabbed Cloud's arm, spinning him back around, and pulling him close to him.

"Fuck the first date rule."

Cloud squeaked when a pair of lips were pressed against his, the cigarette dropping out of his hand and his eyes going wide. He stared up at Squall, blinking a few times when the brunette pulled out of the kiss.

"I'm sorry, I jus-" The brunette was cut off by Cloud standing up on his tip-toes, pressing his lips to Squall's. Cloud ran his fingertips along Squall's jaw, nipping at his lower lip. Groaning softly, Squall wrapped his arms around Cloud's waist, opening his mouth and brushing his tongue out against Cloud's.

"Don't be sorry." The blond mumbled against Squall's lips, cupping his cheeks in his hands. It felt like Cloud's stomach was on fire, and the funny thing was, it felt damn good.

They both pulled away from each other, licking their lips and smiling. "That was, well, yummy."

Cloud blushed, and Squall cupped the blond's cheek in his hand, leaning forward and pecking his lips. "Now that I'm satisfied. I'll see you later, babe."

Cloud watched Squall walk away, raising his eyebrow a bit. Had he really just stood in the middle of a New York city sidewalk and sucked face with that man. Lifting his hand to his mouth, Cloud ran his fingertips over his lips.

"Oh, God.." It had all sunk in, he had cheated on Aeris. Yeah, he had kissed Axel last week, but that was different. This just proves, Axel was right, Cloud let things get out of hand. It turned from a friendship to, well, something. He was attracted to Squall, and he knew it, yet he still agreed to meet him.

Cloud decided against telling Axel, because then he'd say, 'I told you so'. And then Axel would spout off about how Cloud knew that this was going to happen. Cloud would deny it, and say he didn't know Squall was going to kiss him. Then Axel would bitch and say that Cloud isn't that stupid. Which is true, Cloud did have an idea that something like that was eventually going to happen. He let it though, he flirted and teased back. He licked the mans cheek for crying out loud. Okay, so that's not so bad, but still.

He swallowed hard, walking towards where he had parked Fenrir, still allowing everything to sink in. He had really cheated on Aeris, God, what was he going to do. Should he tell her? Or stick to his plan of letting everything go with the flow? He'd have to figure it out, and soon.

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**Authors Note: **I actually got this updated a lot faster then I thought I would, surprisingly. I was in a rush though, mostly because I have so much coming up, and it may take me awhile to update. So I apologize in advance. And I apologize if it does seem a bit rushed. Or long? We'll get more in depth with the dream in another chapter. I wanted to give a little looksie into Cloud's..and Axel's past. Show you how he got the scars, though it was pretty obvious. Another reason why Axel is so protective over him. I know you guys were waaaiting like crazy for Cloud and Squall to meet, so I made it happen. And I gave you guys a little extra. So, yay. Anyway, I do hope you all enjoyed! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll try to update.


	5. Let's drink!

**Disclaimer: **This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. I don't own Squaresoft ( Square Enix ). As much as I wish I owned them, I don't. I don't own the characters in this story, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here writing. Though! The story is based on true events.

**Warnings: **I'm not telling O.O

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Cloud wrapped his arms around Aeris's waist, kissing her cheek. "The gang's here, so I'm going to head out."

Aeris just nodded, leaning up on her tiptoes and pecking Cloud's lips. "Have fun."

Sighing, the blond backed away slowly, "Call Tifa up, go out and have yourself some fun."

"I'll think about it. I love you, Cloud."

Cloud grabbed his jacket and wallet, waving to Aeris. "I love you, too. See you in the morning, babe!"

With that said, Cloud left the house, pulling his jacket onto his body and walking to the car that was parked in his drive way. Walking over to the passengers side, Cloud tapped on the window, laughing when Axel looked out the window at him and rolled his eyes. Opening the door, Cloud watched Axel climb into the back seat, crushing both Sora and Zexion. Sliding into the seat, Cloud waved at Demyx, who was driving. He put his seatbelt on, turning in his seat slightly to look back at Axel.

"You're positive you're okay with him meeting us up there?" Cloud asked, biting down on the inside of his cheek.

"Yes, because, if I said no, I'd have to listen to you bitch and whine about it."

Pouting the blond reached into the backseat, smacking at Axel's head. "Would not!"

"So says you! I've seen how you get when you don't get what you want." Axel stuck his tongue out at Cloud.

"Don't stick your tongue out unless you intend to use it, Axel." Sora said, pinching his side.

Cloud bit down on his lip, remembering that Squall had used those exact lines earlier. It made him blush slightly, so he turned in his seat, staring out the window.

"Fine, you want me to use it?" Axel said, standing up in the backseat, his head hitting the roof of the car. He leaned over the front seat, grabbing Cloud's face and pressing their lips together.

Cloud reached up, pushing Axel away from him. "W-What the fuck are you doing?"

"What he said to do, so open up."

Cloud blinked a few times, before his face was attacked again. Groaning, Cloud pushed Axel away again. "Knock it off, Axel."

"Ah, you ruin all the fun." Axel kissed Cloud's cheek, "Brat." He said before sitting down, winking at Sora. Sora made a disgusted face, scooting closer to Zexion.

"Turn the damn radio up, Dem!" Cloud grunted as he was pushed up against the door, Axel squeezing his way between the front seats.

"Axel! Sit down, I'm driving." Demyx fussed, elbowing Axel back into his seat.

"Well, I'd sit still if I had something to listen to!"

Rolling his eyes, Cloud leaned over, turning the radio up some. "There you big baby, now shut up."

**XXXX**

Squall pulled into the parking lot of Club Deep, sighing and looking out his windshield, trying to find a spot to park. "This place is packed."

"Jesus Christ, park in a handicap spot!"

"I can't, I don't have one of the signs to hang in the window."

The blond sitting next to Squall rolled his eyes, reaching into the bag below his feet. "Thank God my Grandmother is dead and this is still valid!"

Pulling out the handicap sign and handing it to Squall, the blond grinned. "Now park!"

Squall parked in a handicap spot, frowning and putting the sign up in the window. "I'm so going to hell."

"It's okay, I'll be there to keep you company! Now, let's go drink."

"Hey Roxas, do you think I look okay?"

Squall asked, getting out of the car and raising his eyebrow at the blond. Roxas sighed, walking over to Squall's side of the car, biting down on the corner of his lip.

"Okay, do you really like this kid?"

"Yeah."

Laughing, Roxas shook his head, reaching up to loosen Squall's tie. "Then you look horrible. No worries, I can fix that!"

"How am I supposed to look? I mean, we did just come from work."

"Yes, but unlike you I brought clothes to change into." Roxas stepped back, holding his hands out. "See, I look good. You, well, you look too serious."

"Gee, thanks Roxas."

Smiling, Roxas pulled Squall's tie off, throwing it over his shoulder and pursing his lips. "Okay, I like the pin-stripe suit, but this needs to be unbuttoned." Reaching out, he unbuttoned Squall's suit jacket.

"Better, but now unbutton the two top buttons on your shirt." Squall did as he asked, raising his eyebrow when Roxas started ruffling up his hair.

Handing Squall his tie to put in the car, Roxas stepped back and smiled. "I'd totally ravish you, if you hadn't said there was a cute red head waiting inside. Now, let's go!"

Roxas demanded, grabbing Squall's arm and pulling him towards the entrance of the club.

**XXXX**

Cloud sat on the second floor of the club, pressed back against the booth seat, watching Zexion peer and shout over the railing. "Axel, you better not touch him!"

Scooting to the edge of the seat, Cloud looked down at Axel and Demyx at the bar. He glanced over at Zexion, laughing softly. "You know, now that you said that he's so going to grab his ass or something."

"Probably." Rolling his eyes, Zexion crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the booth.

"As long as it's not me." Sora said, sliding into the booth next to Cloud.

Cloud smiled at Sora, leaning his head against the railing and watching people enter the club. His breath caught in his throat when he caught a glimpse of a very familiar brunette. He stood up, leaning his body over the railing a big grin plastered on his face. Shouting over the music, Cloud called out to Squall, waving his hand, motioning for him to come up to the second floor.

Squall looked up when he heard his name being called, smiling when he saw Cloud up on the second floor. Roxas stepped up next to Squall, looking at the direction he was looking in. He smirked, wrapping his arm around Squall's arm and leaning up on his tiptoes. "He's cute."

Cloud stopped waving when he saw a blond haired man step up next to Squall, and intertwine arms with him. Feeling jealousy pool into his stomach, Cloud sat back down in the booth, tears starting to sting the corner of his eyes. Why was he getting jealous over someone he barely knew? After all, Squall was married and if he was willing to cheat on his wife with Cloud, why wouldn't he be with someone else too.

The brunette frowned when he saw Cloud disappear from over the railing. "Where'd he g-"

"Squall!" Squall blinked, looking in the direction his name was being called. He smirked when he saw the red head from across the room, waving his hand. He elbowed Roxas's side, pointing in the direction of the red head.

"There's Axel."

Roxas looked, a grin spreading across his face. "You weren't kidding when you said his hair was red!"

"You're such a perv, Roxas."

Roxas shrugged, straightening up when he saw Axel walking over their way.

"Hey man." Axel held out his hand to Squall, smiling when the brunette took it.

"Sorry for earlier, Cloud's going to be happy to know you're here."

Axel's eyes widened when the blond next to Squall, shoved him out of the way and stood in front of Axel. "Hi, I'm Roxas, why don't you buy me a drink?"

Axel looked the blond up and down, licking at his lips and grinning. "Sure thing. Hey, Squall, Cloud's on the second floor. Um, third booth, near the railing."

Squall nodded, straightening out his jacket, after Roxas had pushed him and sighed. He waved to Roxas, who was cuddled up to Axel's side. Rolling his eyes, Squall made his way up the stairs, going over to the booth that Axel had said Cloud was sitting in.

He stopped mid way over when he didn't see Cloud sitting in the booth. He bit down on his lip, getting ready to turn around, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hi there, you must be Squall." Demyx stepped in front of Squall, holding out his hand. "I'm Demyx, Cloud's friend."

Squall nodded, shaking Demyx's hand and smiling at him. "Cloud's been looking forward to seeing you." Demyx looked over his shoulder, frowning when he didn't see Cloud sitting at the table.

"Here, come sit down with me. Cloud's probably in the bathroom, or getting a drink." Demyx smiled, leading Squall over to the booth.

Sora's mouth dropped when Demyx walked over with Squall right behind him. Tilting his head, Sora stared at Squall, quickly standing up when they reached the table.

He held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Sora." Demyx rolled his eyes, moving past Sora, and elbowing him in the side.

Squall smiled, sitting down next to Sora and introducing himself. Demyx nudged Zexion, "Be nice."

Zexion rolled his eyes, waving at Squall. Sora leaned over, whispering in Squall's ear, "He's got emotional problems. His name is Zexion, Demyx's boyfriend."

Squall bit down on his lip, nodding slowly and glancing around. He smiled when he saw Cloud walking from the direction of the bathroom. Sliding out of the booth and standing, Squall made his way over to where the blond was.

"Hey." Cloud stopped dead in his tracks, blinking a few times and looking up at Squall. He waved, mumbling a hello.

The blond rubbed at his arm, looking down at the floor and sighing. Squall frowned, reaching out and touching Cloud's hand. "Is something wrong?"

Looking up, Cloud shook his head and forced a smile on his face. "I'm fine. Hey, what happened to the guy you came in with?"

"Ah, so that's what it is." Squall smiled, pulling Cloud into a hug and kissing the side of his head. Cloud almost melted in the older mans arms, he was so warm and smelled so good. "He's my assistant, also my childhood friend."

Cloud breathed in Squall's scent, suddenly feeling stupid for getting jealous over nothing. Slowly he pulled out of the hug and looked up at him. "Well, not to sound rude, but why did you bring him?"

Chuckling, Squall ran his fingertips over Cloud's face. "He has a thing for redheads and nerds."

Cloud's eyes widened slightly, glancing around, looking for Axel.

"Don't worry, Roxas is taking good care of him, I promise. Just look down at the bar."

Cloud walked over to the railing, looking down at the bar, trying to find Axel. The brunette walked over to Cloud, leaning over the railing and pointing down at Roxas and Axel.

"There they are." Cloud looked in the direction Squall was pointing in, his eyes widening at the sight before him. The blond, known as Roxas was currently sitting in Axel's lap, with a cherry in his mouth. Cloud watched Axel lean forward, biting down on the cherry stem and pulling it out of Roxas's mouth. Swallowing hard, the blond slowly backed away from the railing, a blush creeping up into his cheeks.

Squall pushed himself away from the railing, turning around to face Cloud, who was backed up against the wall. The brunette smirked, slowly making his way over to Cloud. Placing his hand on the wall, next to Cloud's head, Squall leaned forward, the tip of his nose pressing against Cloud's. The blond looked up, a shiver ripping through his body when his eyes connected with Squall's. The brunette lifted his hand, cupping Cloud's cheek and running his finger over the blond's lower lip. Parting his lips, Cloud closed his eyes and leaned his head up. Smiling, Squall threaded his fingers through Cloud's hair, pressing their lips together.

From across the room, Sora gasped, "That's not fair!"

Demyx turned his head, looking over at Squall and Cloud kissing. "Oh Jesus, Sora. Quit looking!"

"That's it, I'm going to find me a guy and get me some." With that said, the brunette stood up, walking off and going down the stairs to the first floor.

Sora spotted Axel and some blond sucking face at the bar, and he groaned. "Ugh! Even he's getting some, that's so not cool."

A pink haired guy walked by Sora, bumping shoulders with him and mumbling a small apology. Sora turned, grabbing the guys arm and grinning. "It's okay. I'm Sora, you are?"

The guy turned slowly to face the brunette, raising his eyebrow. "Marluxia."

"Cute, wanna fuck?"

Marluxia's eyes widened and he looked the brunette up and down before slowly nodding.

"Sweet, come on! Take me to your place." Sora tugged Marluxia's arm, leading him out of the club.

Cloud nipped at Squall's lower lip before pulling out of the kiss and smiling. He grabbed Squall's hand, walking with him back over to the booth. They both slid in, sitting next to Demyx and Zexion.

"Where'd Sora go?"

Demyx laughed softly, rubbing the side of his neck. "Well, he saw you guys swapping spit and got all jealous."

Zexion glanced over at the three of them and pointed down at the entrance of the club. "And he just left with some pink haired guy."

"What?!" Both Demyx and Cloud stood up, leaning over the railing and watching Sora drag the guy with pink hair out of the club.

"I need a drink," Zexion said, sliding out of the booth.

"Ah, wait up, I'll come with you." Squall rose to his feet, walking up behind Cloud and tapping him on the shoulder. The blond turned around, facing the older man, his eyebrow raising.

Squall smiled, "I'm going down to the bar, do you want anything to drink?"

"Ooh, I want a daiquiri." Demyx said, pushing himself away from the railing and sitting back down in the booth. "Get a bottle of tequila and a few shot glasses while you're at it!"

Cloud rolled his eyes, sighing and then glancing down at the bar. "I'll just take a daiquiri too. If you see Axel while you're down there, tell him he should come back up here and be social."

Zexion crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot, waiting for Squall. "Come on, I want a damn drink."

Nodding, Squall glanced back at Zexion, "I'm coming, one second." He looked back at Cloud, smiling and then leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Be right back."

"Finally," Zexion said when Squall started to walk towards the stairs leading down to the bar.

Cloud watched the two of them over the railing, looking over his shoulder briefly to smile at Demyx. "So, what do you think of Squall?" Cloud asked over the music, sitting down in the booth and leaning back against the seat.

Demyx shrugged, "So far I like him. He seems nice enough."

**XXXX**

"Come on Cloud, one more shot." Demyx pushed the shot glass in Cloud's direction. The blond leaned against Squall's side, reaching his hand out and grabbing the shot glass.

"This is the last one," Cloud slurred, bringing the shot glass to his lips and grinning. He tipped the glass back, swallowing the contents that were inside it.

"I don't feel so good," Zexion said before his face connected with the table. Cloud giggled, "That's what happens when you drink half a bottle of vodka by yourself!"

"And mix it with tequila," Axel added in, wrapping his arms around Roxas's waist.

"Yeah, mixing dark liquor with clear isn't smart."

"Shut up, um, what's your name again?" Zexion lifted his head, looking over at Squall.

"Squall."

"Right, so shut up, Squall." Zexion stood up, swaying a bit. "I'm going to be sick."

"Jesus, I told you not to drink that much." Demyx rose to his feet, "I need to take him home." He said, grabbing Zexion's arm and holding him steady.

"Well, none of us are sober to drive, and you're the only one who came in a car!" Axel said, pushing Roxas out of his lap. "You can't just leave us here, and where the fuck did Sora go?"

"Ah, he left with some pink haired guy." Cloud nodded at Axel.

"Oh, great! You guys let him go? Real fucking nice." Axel rolled his eyes, picking up the bottle of tequila and pouring himself another shot.

"Well, Squall has his car, and he didn't have too much to drink. Right Squall?" Roxas said, looking over at the brunette.

"Yeah, but it's only two seats."

Roxas threw a straw at Squall's head, sighing. "Shut up, we'll make everyone fit."

"Fine, I'll drive them home."

"Thank you, Squall!" Demyx smiled, pulling Zexion towards the stairs. "I'll call you tomorrow, Cloud."

"Okay, bye." Cloud waved to Demyx.

"I guess we should all get going too." Squall said, sliding out of the booth and holding his hands out to Cloud.

The blond took the hands that were offered to him, and smiled, allowing Squall to pull him to his feet. Hiccuping, Cloud leaned against Squall, watching Axel and Roxas slide out of the booth and make their ways towards the staircase.

"Am I spinning, or is the room spinning?" Cloud asked, smiling softly when Squall wrapped his arms around him.

"I think it's just the room, love."

"We didn't even get to dance," The blond pouted, looking up at Squall.

"You can dance when we get back to my place, Cloud." Axel said, glancing over his shoulder at his friend.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but is there any way we can hurry? I have to pee, really badly." The blond said, stepping outside and crisscrossing his legs, rocking slightly.

"Um, we were just inside two seconds ago, why couldn't you go in there?" Axel asked, glancing around the parking lot. "Which ones yours?"

"The one in the handicap spot, the Ferrari." Roxas tugged on Axel's arm, pulling him into the parking lot.

"Oh sweet!"

Cloud rolled his eyes at his friend, following behind both him and Roxas, still attached to Squall's side. "I didn't have to pee until we stepped outside. And this is going to be so much worse on my bladder, being all squished in a car! G-Great," The blond hiccupped.

Squall pulled his keys out of his pocket, pressing a button on the key-chain to unlock the car doors. "Now to figure out how in the hell all of us are going to fit."

"We're going to be like those clowns, the ones that squeeze in the tiny car! If I pee on one of you, it's not my fault. You can blame Demyx's drunk boyfriend." Cloud nodded, crisscrossing his legs again when the group had stopped walking.

Squall blinked, walking over to the drivers side and opening the door. "Just try not to get piss on my seats, yeah? Maybe you should sit on Axel's lap, and Roxas you can squeeze in the middle."

Pouting, Roxas glared at Squall, intertwining his arms with Axel's. "Why? He's just as skinny as I am, and besides, I'm sure he won't literally piss himself."

Glancing over at Cloud, Axel bit down on his lip, watching his friend hold his legs together, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Can we just hurry?! I don't care who sits where, I really have to pee!"

"Piss on the curb, Cloud!" Axel said, rolling his eyes and pointing to where the blond should pee.

"Eww, I'm not you, Axel. I don't just piss anywhere." The blond said, making a face and swaying slightly.

"Hey, the cars unlocked you guys."

Axel opened the passenger side door, motioning for Cloud to get in first. Cloud climbed into the car, shivering and squeezing his eyes shut, his bladder feeling like it was about to pop. He sat between the small space that separated the back of the car from the seats. He whimpered when Roxas got in the car, sitting on top of Axel and bumping into him.

"God, I hope you drive fast," Cloud said, watching Squall get in the car and start it up.

"You guys just try not to look so noticeable, okay?" The brunette looked over at Roxas, "Especially you, lean back some."

"No problem," Roxas grinned, leaning back against Axel and kissing at his jaw.

"Just relax, Cloud, at least I don't live too far from here." Axel smiled, closing his eyes and tilting his head when Roxas started kissing at his skin.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who has to pee!"

Cloud attempted to relax as Squall pulled out of the parking lot, taking the handicap sign out of the window. Sucking his lower lip into his mouth, Cloud whimpered again, shoving his hands between his legs and twitching. Closing his eyes again, Cloud leaned his head back, listening to Axel give Squall directions.

Once the group arrived at Axel's house, Cloud jumped, pushing Roxas out of the car when Axel opened the door. "MOVE!" The blond screamed, almost tripping over Roxas who was now flat on his ass, on the ground. Roxas huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and watching Cloud run to the front door.

"It's open, Cloud." Axel called out to him, getting out of the car and helping Roxas up.

"He really had to go, eh?" Squall asked, locking up the car and making his way over to where Axel and Roxas were.

"Apparently," Axel laughed, walking into his house and smiling.

"Come on, show me your room." Roxas grinned, grabbing Axel's hand and pulling him to the back of the house.

"Yes sir! Squall, just make yourself at home!" The red head waved, letting Roxas pull him back into the bedroom.

Squall laughed softly, glancing around the living room and taking his jacket off. He laid it over the arm of the couch, picking up a 'Game Informer' magazine from the coffee table and sitting down.

Cloud stepped out of the bathroom, zipping up his pants and walking into the living room. He looked over at Squall reading the magazine and blushed, "Are they talking about any good games in that issue?"

Squall lowered the magazine, smiling at Cloud and placing the magazine back on the coffee table. "Nothing I haven't already read online."

The blond laughed softly, walking over to the couch and sitting down next to Squall. "So, thanks for coming tonight."

Scooting closer, Squall reached his hand out, playing with Cloud's hair and smiling. "I wanted to see you again, so of course I came."

Blushing, Cloud turned his head slightly, biting down on his lower lip. Squall leaned over, pressing his nose against Cloud's and breathing out against his lips. "Can I kiss you?"

Cloud shivered, nodding and closing his eyes, leaning closer to Squall, whimpering softly when their lips met. Swallowing hard, Cloud pulled out of the kiss and frowned, glancing around Axel's living room.

"I don't feel comfortable doing this in the middle of my friends living room," Cloud bit down on his lip. "Can we go into the spare bedroom?"

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**Authors Note: **I apologize for the wait, and blah blah. I'm cutting this part in to two, that way I can give you guys something, for now, while I try to finish the other half. It's been busy on my end, studying, damn college stuff. I'm sorry if it seems short, or a little rushed, or anything. I've been busy, as I said. I'm hoping the other half of this story will be up, before Valentines Day..Lol, I can't promise though. Any how, I hope you guys enjoy. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! They make me smile, ha ha.


	6. Pancakes or Waffles?

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. I don't own Squaresoft ( Square Enix ). As much as I wish I owned them, I don't. I don't own the characters in this story, if I did I wouldn't be sitting here writing. Though! The story is based on true events.

**Warnings:** Waffles..

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_"I don't feel comfortable doing this in the middle of my friends living room," Cloud bit down on his lip. "Can we go into the spare bedroom?"_

Inside the room, Cloud felt even more uncomfortable as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. I mean, here he was, in a room with someone he barely knew. That poses the question as to why he told Squall they should go back there in the first place. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Sighing, he leaned over and undid his shoe laces, sliding his shoes off his feet. Slowly he lifted his head, looking over at Squall, who smiled softly and shut the bedroom door.

Cloud chewed on his nails, his eyes lowering to the floor as he spoke. "I-I don't want to lead you on or anything, but I don't want to."

Cloud eyes widened when he heard noises coming from the room next door.

Squall laughed, walking over to the wall and pressing his ear against it. "Sounds like Roxas and Axel are enjoying themselves."

The blond blushed, rubbing at the side of his neck. "Oh?"

"We'll know for sure in the morning."

"How so?" Cloud raised his eyebrow at Squall, watching him step closer to the bed.

"If Roxas makes waffles, it means the guy sucked in bed." Squall grinned, "If he makes pancakes, it means he liked it."

"Weird." Cloud bit down on his lip, "Axel likes waffles more than pancakes though."

"Guess he better suck in bed then."

"I thought you said your friends weren't as "far" out as mine." Cloud giggled softly, making the little quotations in the air as he said far.

"Okay, so they are, in a different sense."

Cloud shook his head, smiling softly, his cheeks starting to burn red again. The blond watched as Squall sat down on the bed, and leaned his face closer to his. Cloud's mouth went dry, and his heart started to race as Squall went in for a kiss. Cloud turned his head away, feeling Squall's lips brush against his cheek.

"I-I don't want to lead you on, Squall, but I'm not ready for.." Cloud turned his head back towards Squall's, frowning. "This."

Squall smiled, grabbing Cloud's hand and bringing it to his face. "No one said we had to have sex, love."

The brunette kissed at the other mans hand, slowly moving his lips down his arm. Cloud closed his eyes, finally starting to relax. That was, until Squall's lips brushed against the scars on his arm. The blond's eyes shot open, and he jerked his arm away, backing up on the bed, tears welling up in his eyes.

"D-Don't touch them."

Squall blinked, looking over at Cloud, "I'm sorry."

The blond held his arm against his chest, a tear falling down his cheek when Squall turned his back to him. "Squall, I'm sorry, I d-didn't.."

Taking off his shoes, Squall sighed, glancing back at Cloud over his shoulder. "It's okay, don't apologize."

The brunette moved up on the bed, sitting next to Cloud and smiling at him. Gently, Squall took Cloud's hand, lifting it to his face and pressing the younger mans fingertips against his scar.

"We all make mistakes, it just means we're human."

Cloud ran his fingers over Squall's scar, his one arm still held against his chest. "You got into a fight; I deliberately cut myself, I'm not exactly sure how those two add up in the same category."

He took his hand away, turning his head and sighing heavily. "I knew what I was doing," Cloud slowly turned to look at Squall again.

"And you don't think I did?" Squall wrapped his arm around the younger mans shoulders, pulling him up against his side.

"I watched the guy break the bottle, and still, I prodded at him until he came after me with it."

"Why?" Cloud leaned against Squall, his eyes falling shut. The other man was so warm, and it felt so good to be held.

"Because I'm not one to back down from something."

Squall ran his fingers through Cloud's hair, pressing a kiss against the blond's forehead. "You know, we still haven't danced."

"No, we haven't."

"Would you like to?"

Cloud blushed, smiling softly and nodding. "Okay, but there is no radio in here."

Grinning, the brunette got out of the bed and pointed to the alarm clock that was on his side. "We can use the radio on this."

Squall turned the alarm clock on, switching it over to the radio and searching for a song that was worth dancing to.

"Oh! I like this song, please leave it." Cloud bounced on the bed when he heard J-holiday's song, 'bed', playing on the radio.

Squall chuckled, "This it is then." Walking around to the side of the bed Cloud was on, Squall held his hand out, smiling at the blond.

"Dance with me?"

Cloud grinned, placing his hand in Squall's. "I'd love to."

The brunette helped Cloud to his feet, pulling the younger man closer to him and sliding his hands down to the blond's hips. Cloud lifted his arms, wrapping them around Squall's neck, and letting the older man lead. They began to move to the music, Cloud's eyes lighting up more and more with each step they took. His heart was swelling with so much joy, he couldn't remember the last time he had been this happy. Cloud pressed closer to Squall, resting his head against the other mans shoulder.

"This feels nice," Cloud mumbled, his fingertips running over Squall's neck.

"It does."

Cloud leaned his head back, staring up at the brunette, a smile forming on his lips. Cloud leaned up on his tip toes, pressing his lips to Squall's, and threading his fingers through the older mans hair; his lips parting slightly. Squall lifted his hands up, cupping the blond's cheeks, and nipping at the tip of his tongue.

Pulling out of the kiss slowly, Cloud blushed, "Can we do something?"

Squall stroked his fingertips against the blond's cheeks, smiling down at the blushing man. "Sure, anything you like."

Swallowing hard, Cloud stepped back, and bit down on his lip. "I-I know I said I didn't want to, well, ya know?"

The brunette nodded, his eyes starting to widen at the sight before him; the blond had taken his shirt off and thrown it across the room. He watched as the younger man unbuttoned his pants, pushing them down to his ankles and then stepping out of them. Squall wasn't about to complain though, he was definitely liking Cloud's new found confidence. Cloud smiled at Squall, biting down on the corner of his lip and stepping closer to the man in front of him.

"I want," Cloud said, reaching his hands out and unbuttoning Squall's shirt. He smiled up at the man, pushing the shirt open and sliding his arms inside and pressing his palms flat against the mans back.

"You want?" Squall asked, wanting so badly to reach out and touch Cloud, but decided against it. He didn't want to scare him, especially not now.

The blond pressed up against Squall, their skin making contact. "To feel your skin against mine. It's such an amazing feeling, skin against skin."

Squall closed his eyes, nodding in agreement and lifting his hands up, running them down Cloud's bare back. The blond kissed at Squall's chest, before moving away from him and crawling into the bed.

"Take the rest of your clothes off," Cloud got under the covers, grinning over at Squall and watching him strip from his clothes.

Still feeling buzzed from all the alcohol he consumed earlier, Cloud giggled and hid under the covers. "Come and find me!"

Squall smirked, pulling his pants off, "I wonder where Cloud went."

The blond giggled again, jumping slightly when he felt someone tackle him. He squeaked, his head poking out from underneath the covers. "You're heavy!"

Cloud shoved at Squall, pushing him onto his back and grinning. "My turn!"

The blond shifted underneath the covers, climbing on top of Squall and straddling his waist. Squall chuckled, his hands resting on Cloud's thighs.

"You're really toned," Cloud mumbled, his hands running over Squall's chest.

Smiling, Cloud pressed his fingertip against Squall's bellybutton, eliciting a small sigh from the man beneath him. This made Cloud's heart beat faster, and he wasn't sure why, but he wanted to hear more noises from Squall. The blond leaned down, pressing his lips to Squall's chest, his tongue flicking out against the skin.

"What are you doing, Cloud?"

"I'm not sure." Cloud kissed his way up to the brunette's lips, biting down on his lower lip and giving it a light tug. Squall whimpered, rubbing his hands up and down Cloud's thighs.

"You said we didn't have to have sex, right?"

"Uh huh," Squall mumbled against Cloud's lips, his hands moving to the boys hips.

"But that doesn't mean we can't do other things, right?"

The brunette pulled his head back, lifting his one hand up to touch Cloud's face. "We can do whatever you are comfortable with."

The younger of the two gave a small nod, pressing his lips back against the man beneath him. Again, Cloud had no idea what he was doing when he grabbed Squall's hand, placing it against the front of his boxers; it just felt right. He felt like he was on fire when Squall touched him, when he kissed him; everything he did to him made Cloud feel alive. Never had he felt this way when Aeris touched him, it was such a new feeling; an amazing feeling.

"Touch me," Cloud breathed out against Squall's ear, moaning softy when the man began rubbing him through his boxers. He grinded his hips down against Squall's, earning a moan of approval from the older man.

"Oops, don't mind me!"

Cloud's eyes widened as he heard Axel's voice come from behind him. Quickly, Cloud got off of Squall, diving under the covers.

Axel held his hand over his eyes, slowly making his way into the room. "I'm not looking, you guys can continue."

"Axel, you ass!" Cloud slowly pulled the covers away from his face, pouting at the red head.

"What'd I do?" Axel lowered his hand, looking over at Squall and Cloud. He smiled at the pout on the blond's face.

Cloud huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head up at Axel. "So rude, you can't even knock."

"Um, this is my house?" The red head raised his eyebrow, walking over to the bed and sitting down.

"Are you nakie under there, Cloud?" Axel reached out, grabbing at the covers and trying to pull them away from the blond's body. "Let me see!"

Squall laughed softly, shaking his head at the small wrestling match going on next to him. Axel was tugging at the covers, and Cloud was trying to sink farther underneath them.

"Go away, Axel."

"But," Axel was interrupted by Roxas's voice, asking the red head if he was coming back to bed.

"Hmm." Smiling, Axel kissed Cloud's cheek before getting out of the bed. "Coming!"

"Have fun you two." The red head waved his hand, closing the door as he left the room.

"That fucker. He really knows how to ruin a moment." Cloud sighed, falling back against the pillows.

Squall slid under the covers, shifting closer to Cloud and draping his arm over the blond's waist. "Maybe it was a good thing that he interrupted.."

"Why is that?" Cloud frowned, looking up at Squall.

The brunette smiled, descending his head and pecking the blond's lips. "I just don't want you to do something you're going to regret. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of what happened."

He kissed Cloud gently again, rubbing the tips of their noses together. "I like you, Cloud, a lot. You're so cute, and sweet. You're funny, you make me feel good, and I love that."

Reassured that Squall didn't dislike him, Cloud grinned. He raised his arms, wrapping them around Squall's neck and pulling the man down for a hug. The brunette smiled again, burying his face into the crook of the younger mans neck.

Squall couldn't put his finger on it, but something about Cloud made his insides turn; in a good way. He snuggled closer to the blond, loving the way the other man felt. He was so warm, so beautiful and angelic. Neither of the men thought about their wives as they slept, content in each others arms. They didn't want this moment to ever end.

**XXX**

Roxas stood in the kitchen in just his boxers, dancing to a beat he heard in his head as he pulled a mixing bowl from the cabinet. He began to sing as he opened the refrigerator, "I need a miracle, I wanna be your girl. Give me a chance to see, that you are made for me."

He continued to sing, taking the milk and eggs out of the fridge, kicking it closed and smiling when he saw Cloud standing in the kitchen. "Morning!"

Cloud raised his eyebrow, watching Roxas dance around the kitchen; and he thought Axel was weird. "Hey Roxas, can I ask you something?"

Chewing on his lip, Cloud sat down at the table and looked over at Roxas.

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

Cloud watched as Roxas cracked the eggs against the side of the bowl, humming and bobbing his head.

"Well, are you okay with me and Squall?"

Roxas laughed, turning to face Cloud and putting his hands on his hips. "Honestly? As long as he's happy. Besides, you're better for him any ways. Rinoa, don't get me wrong she's a good girl, but, she's just not the one for Squall. The only reason he stuck around was because of his kid. Guess that's the right thing to do though, right?"

Shrugging, Roxas turned back around, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a big wooden spoon. Cloud just nodded, he wasn't sure what to make of his and Squall's relationship yet, but he knew that he had never had this feeling for any one before.

"Speak of the devil," Roxas said, without even lifting his head to look over at the brunette.

"Good morning to you too, Roxas." Squall rolled his eyes, walking over to where Cloud was sitting and leaned his head down. "Morning beautiful."

Cloud's cheeks turned pink, and he lifted his head, smiling up at Squall. "Good morning."

Squall pressed his lips to Cloud's in a brief kiss, before sitting down across from him at the table.

"So much love in one room, where's mine?" Roxas pouted, holding the mixing bowl in his one hand and the wooden spoon in the other.

"Right here!" Axel announced, walking into the kitchen and wrapping his arms around Roxas's waist. He grinned, kissing the side of the blond's head.

"Good morning, Spiky." Axel sat down next to Cloud, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

Cloud smiled, and shook his head at Axel. He loved how affectionate his best friend could be, but sometimes he went a little over board.

"So, where are my waffles?!"

Squall snorted, and winked at Cloud, who just blushed and covered his face up with his hands. Roxas faced Axel, stirring the contents inside the mixing bowl and smiling.

"We're not having waffles, Axel. I'm making pancakes."

"Oh God, here it goes." Cloud groaned out, laying his head down on the table.

"W-What? No waffles?"

"Nope," Roxas sat the mixing bowl down, pulling a frying pan out from the cabinet and placing it on the stove.

Axel watched Roxas pour some of the batter into the frying pan, his eyes widening. "I don't want pancakes.."

"Well, that's what I'm making."

Squall laughed, glancing over at Cloud, who was shaking his head and frowning.

Axel stood up, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't like pancakes! I don't want them, I want waffles."

"Well, like I said, I'm making pancakes."

"You know what?" Axel backed out of the kitchen, pointing at Roxas, then Cloud and finally Squall. "Screw you guys, I'm going to play World of Warcraft."

Everyone exchanged glances as Axel left the kitchen.

"In the nude!" Axel shouted from the living room.

Roxas's dropped the mixing spoon into the bowl, his eyebrows raising. "Did he say nude?"

"Yeah, you're damn right I said that!" Axel stood in the entry way to the kitchen, completely naked, and putting his wrist brace on.

Cloud's eyes widened at the sight before him, "Oh dear lord."

Squall laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew this was making Roxas all hot and bothered, and he couldn't help getting a kick out of that. Roxas leaned against the counter, biting down on his lower lip and whimpering.

Axel appeared in the kitchen once more, pushing a pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose. "And you guys can keep your fucking pancakes!"

Roxas stared at Axel's ass as he turned to leave the kitchen again, his blood rushing to his lower regions.

Roxas took a deep breath, closing his eyes, "Okay, I can do this." He opened his eyes, starting to stir the pancake batter again.

Axel stormed back into the kitchen, heading towards the refrigerator, a look of annoyance on his face. He stopped in front of the refrigerator, huffing and reaching out for the handle. Yanking open the door, he bent over reaching inside the fridge for his Mountain Dew.

Cloud looked at Axel's ass, face burning red-hot as he turned to Squall, looking at him with apologetic eyes. Squall covered his eyes, still laughing, he smiled at Cloud. He turned his head slowly to look at Roxas's expression.

Roxas, holding the bowl of batter, stared at Axel with his hands trembling. "Uh, Umm...I...I..."

"Axel, do you have to be naked?" Cloud asked with his eyes closed.

Axel grabbed his Mountain Dew, slamming shut the refrigerator door. " Psh, yeah I do."

"Why?" Squall choked out, his ribs hurting from all the laughing he was doing.

"I'm striking against pancakes. I am staying nakie until I get my waffles." Axel turned on his heel and walked out into the living room.

Roxas set the bowl down, his hands gripping onto the counter. "I can't take this...I can't," he straightened himself and looked at the bowl.

Cloud's and Squall's eyes followed Axel out of the kitchen. Squall shook his head, turning to look back at Roxas, his eyebrow raising.

Cloud turned in his seat, his eyes widening at Roxas with disbelief.

Roxas put his hands into the bowl, scooping some of the batter into them. He began to rub the batter on his body, slowly walking towards Axel. "Axel, I'll be your waffle."

Axel shouted a reply, "Wha...?" The red head turned to see a half naked Roxas covered in pancake batter, running at him.

Cloud and Squall were startled by a loud thud and the sound of Axel screaming.

Roxas tried to hold Axel down, but Axel fought back, trying to push Roxas off.

"No, Roxas... Get off me, right now. I said ge-..Oh, well now it's in, no helping it now."

Cloud covered his face with his hands, shaking his head, "Well, what are we going to eat?"

Squall leaned over the table, moving the blond's hands. He smiled and nodded his head towards the bowl that had batter in it.

Cloud giggled. "Well, Axel has waffles in the freezer."

Squall smiled, "Really? I wonder if Axel knows that." Squall leaned back and began to rise to his feet.

Cloud stood up, moving towards the refrigerator, his face starting to burn red from the noises he heard coming from the living room.

Cloud put his hand on the handle of the freezer, pulling it open and sighing. He reached for the waffles, not noticing Squall stepping up behind him. The brunette just grinned, grabbing Cloud's hips.

As Cloud grabbed the waffles, he jerked up, surprised by Squall. He looked at the older man over his shoulder, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Do you like chocolate chip?"

"They're my favorite." Squall nipped at Cloud's earlobe, smirking when the other man shivered. Squall took the box out of Cloud's hands, opening it up and walking over to where the toaster was.

He put four waffles in the toaster, handing the box back to Cloud, who put it back in the freezer and smiled.

Cloud leaned up on his tip toes, reaching into the cabinet for the bottle of syrup. Squall couldn't help himself, he ended up behind Cloud again, his arms wrapping around the younger mans waist. The blond blushed, grabbing the bottle of syrup and turning in Squall's arms.

"Do you like syrup on your waffles?"

"Yes," Squall said, kissing at Cloud's collarbone.

Popping open the bottle of syrup, Cloud tipped his head back, smirking at Squall and placing the bottle against his lips. He tipped the bottle up, dripping some of the syrup onto his lips. He set the bottle down on the counter, lifting his arms up and wrapping them around the brunette's neck.

"Kiss me."

Squall licked his lips, "With pleasure." He leaned forward, his lips hovering over Cloud's.

"What was that?" Cloud asked as he heard a loud noise coming from the living room.

"It's just Axel and Roxas, ignore it." Squall pressed his lips to Cloud's, his tongue licking at the syrup on the blond's lips.

With a small sigh, Cloud parted his lips, leaning closer to the brunette. Neither one of them noticed the red head next to them, taking the waffles out of the toaster and grinning. He snatched the syrup bottle, his head bouncing as he sat down at the table.

"Axel!" Roxas whined, coming into the kitchen and standing in front of the red head.

Squall pulled away from Cloud, the both of them looking at the two naked men in the kitchen. Roxas had his hands on his hips, a pout fixed on his face as he stared at Axel.

"What?" Axel asked with a mouth full of waffles, syrup trickling down his chin.

"You didn't finish!" Squall covered Cloud's eyes when Roxas slid into Axel's lap, licking at the syrup dripping down the red head's chin.

"No, don't touch my waffles!" Axel smacked Roxas's hand, shoving him out of his lap.

Cloud removed Squall's hand, biting down on his lip and trying to suppress a giggle when he saw Roxas hit the floor.

"Axel, that wasn't very nice!"

"Well, don't touch my waffles."

Cloud leaned up, kissing Squall's cheek, trying to get his attention back on him. The brunette slowly turned his head, smiling down at Cloud.

"So, how long are you guys in town for?"

Squall pecked the blond's lips, mumbling against them, "Two weeks."

"Oh, that should be fun."

Cloud leaned his body against Squall's, his head resting on the other mans shoulder. He closed his eyes, listening to Roxas and Axel continue to fight. A small smile appeared on Cloud's face; he was happy. Squall's arms wrapped around him made Cloud feel secure, like nothing could touch him. He didn't want to give this moment up for anything, and he wouldn't. Cloud's mind was made up, or so he thought. He wasn't going to let Squall go, no way, not when he felt so safe with him. He couldn't tell Aeris though, no, that would have to wait.

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**Authors Note: **So, I hope everyone missed me! Nasty virus cleaning out my computer, how dare it! So, my co-writer has thing with waffles, and since she is my "Axel." We totally had to go with the waffleness. And come on, a naked Axel playing World of Warcraft, that's hot. Oh! And one more chapter, then you guys will get your Cloud and Squall, well ya know. Reviews make me very happy, I love reading the comments you have on this story. So, send me reviews! Thanks for reading.


	7. BIG APOLOGY!

So, I owe a lot of readers a big apology. I haven't written a chapter in this story in a long time. Don't worry I'm working on it. I've got over a 60 chapter story I've been spending more time with, so this one got neglected. I refuse to post the other one until I finish at least over 20 chapters. Since I have taken away from this story, and it may very rarely get updated. If any one wants to keep in touch, or to hear about the other story. I'd be more then happy to email the prologue and stuff to you, or you can reach me on my aim. Stitchxmyxdollie

Again, I apologize. There may be a chapter for this story posted soon, but I can't make any promises. Also got a new computer, so I lost a lot of information I had. So, still working on building that all back up. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! I loove them. And the story I'm working on is a Genesis/Angeal and Cloud/Zack. It has nothing to do with Kingdom Hearts, so it won't be posted in this section. Still if you would like to read, before it gets posted..my aim screenname is above..or my direct email is

Emomyelmo at hotmail...and I think you get the idea for the rest of it. Any ways, thank you all! And I'm sorry for such a wait.

-Syn


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